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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594269">Ipseity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isobel_Morgan/pseuds/Isobel_Morgan'>Isobel_Morgan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:55:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isobel_Morgan/pseuds/Isobel_Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Doctor's latest travelling companion is abducted by persons unknown, they both get tangled in an attempted uprising by a group determined to destroy an alliance and start a civil war. The Doctor never walks away when people need help, but what will the cost be this time, and to who?<br/>Following on from 'Anamnesis' and 'A Future In Ruins'.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story follows on from 'Anamnesis' and 'A Future In Ruins.'<br/>Brief synopsis if you haven't read those stories - No longer travelling with the 'fam', the Doctor tried to regain the memories wiped from her brain. She failed but made a new friend, Serene, an orphan raised within the Cerebral Order (a sort of combination of a university and a monastic order). On their first meeting, Serene accidentally absorbed some of the Doctor's memories through her memory recall device, and although the Doctor managed to remove most of them, some remained. After travelling together and having adventures for a while, they met Missy, who 'gifted' Serene some of Missy's own memories to further complicate matters. Both the Doctor and Serene have accepted that they may never find out the truth of their pasts, but of course, when is it ever that simple?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Ipseity - (ip·se·ity \ ipˈsēətē )- </em> <em>Definition: - the quality of being oneself; </em></p>
<p><em>the essential element of individuality </em> <em>- individual identity : selfhood "</em></p><hr/>
<p>The Doctor and Serene wandered through the Millefiori Galleria, enjoying the way the buzz and hurry swirled around them, not engulfing them but invigorating nonetheless. So many voices - even translated through the TARDIS, it was obvious there were many different languages and dialects. So many species, all with their own business, drama, gossip and joy, coming from far and wide to this city-sized bazaar to buy, trade, meet or just to soak up the atmosphere.</p>
<p>The amber sun shone through the stained glass roof, throwing multi-coloured light onto everything below.</p>
<p>"This is one of my favourite places so far," Serene sighed happily.</p>
<p>"Not just the stalls, but the… what's the word? Ambience?"</p>
<p>"Sounds about right," the Doctor agreed.</p>
<p>"The reason this market started was part of a peace process. Once a truce had been called, the first thing the communities did was start to trade. While all the politicians and the military leaders were arguing about territorial boundaries, and disarmament treaties, the regular people were meeting each other to find out what they needed the most and how they could supply it. That was several generations ago, but the truce held. There're no weapons here, no fights and it's not enforced by armies, or police. The people themselves uphold the truce, because they know how important it is."</p>
<p>"There's hope for us all, maybe. Thank you for bringing me here, Doctor. It's nice to see places where there's hope."</p>
<p>"Most important thing in the universe, hope. There's some bad history here, and it's not always like this on the future, but yeah. It's good to see places where they've worked stuff out."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They spent the whole day exploring, talking with stall-holders, eating the strangest food they could find, puzzling out the purposes of the weirdest objects piled high on the most tucked-away stalls. Serene's knowledge of alien races was pretty good for someone with so sheltered an upbringing, but she was still surprised by some of the traders, and was fascinated by the Trees of Cheem. Having never even heard of a race of sentient, humanoid tree beings, she could have spent several days talking with them, but there was always something else to distract her. The young Catkind acrobats put on little pop-up performances wherever there was space, delighting their audiences, and the Doctor was thrilled to find some independent Ood, running their own trading business.</p>
<p>Conscious of Missy's sniping criticism of her clothing, the Doctor bought a few new tops and accessories. She mostly stuck with the rainbow theme, had no intention of changing everything, unless it was necessary to fit in somewhere, but no harm in having a bit more to choose from.</p>
<p>Serene wrapped the multi-hued shawl she'd just bought around her shoulders.</p>
<p>"Loving the bright colours, aren't you?" The Doctor said, with a smile.</p>
<p>Serene grinned back, smoothing the skirt of her teal dress.</p>
<p>"It's the choice, more than anything. Years I wore that lay sister uniform! It was that or nothing, and believe me, I tried that when I was very little, and it didn't go over too well either."</p>
<p>Her eye was caught by a display of jangly silver jewellery.</p>
<p>"And pretty things… I can't get enough of those either."</p>
<p>The Doctor, catching sight of herself in the mirror by the jewellery, ran a hand self-consciously over her hair, now tinted a light pink - rose gold, the woman running the stall had called it.</p>
<p><em>'Still can't believe I let Serene talk me into doing that,'</em> she thought. <em>'But then again, we came here to try new things. Maybe I could try red next time. Finally I could be ginger.'</em></p>
<p>Serene picked out a small star on a short chain, so it lay between her collar bones. The Doctor had gifted her her own money to spend, digging through the collection of random currencies stored in the TARDIS to find what would be accepted here. Serene had taken a while to get the hang of money, and found haggling utterly incomprehensible, but as long as she felt both parties were getting a fair deal, she was happy. As Serene put on her new necklace, the Doctor pulled her hair away from the cuff on her own ear.</p>
<p>"Nice. Goes with mine."</p>
<p>"It seemed fitting. We travel among the stars."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They continued wandering, no pressures or demands, just enjoying the variety, the diversity, finding things that neither of them had ever seen before. But just as the Doctor was getting into an in-depth retelling of how she'd once visited a market that later turned out to be a dormant sentient creature, on whose back traders had set up their stalls, she realised Serene was being very quiet. She turned, and her friend was nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>"How long've I been talking to myself? Saw something shiny, I suppose."</p>
<p>She began retracing her steps, but once she went back around the corner and saw Serene's multi-coloured shawl lying on the ground, she started to get worried. Getting distracted and wandering off was one thing - and she wouldn't be the first to do that - but it wasn't like Serene to just drop something she valued.</p>
<p>The Doctor picked it up and approached the nearby stalls.</p>
<p>"Excuse me, did you see my friend? She passed by a minute ago, dark hair, golden skin? She was carrying this?"</p>
<p>But no luck. The market was too busy for anyone to notice individual people, much less remember where they'd gone. The Doctor went back to the stalls they'd bought items from, but none of them had seen Serene since their first visit.</p>
<p>Now the Doctor was getting seriously worried. She pulled out her sonic and began scanning the area, hoping to pick up a trace. It remembered Serene's recall device, could usually connect to it but it was getting nothing, and that was really worrying. She ran on, calling out Serene's name, asking anyone who'd stop if they'd seen her, but still nothing.</p>
<p>As she looped back around, near where she'd started, she noticed a hidden little back alleyway, where all the stalls were shuttered closed, and there, on the ground, was Serene's recall device. Or at least, what was left of it. The wrist part was twisted out of shape and smashed like it had been wrenched off, then stamped on, repeatedly and deliberately. If Serene wouldn't have dropped the wrap, there was nothing that would have made her abandon her gadget, not willingly anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fear and concern flitted through the Doctor. Someone had taken her friend, by force. Who would do such a thing, and why? And here, of all places? The truce made this Galleria a safe, peaceful place, and everyone who came here should know better than to try abducting people from its streets. So whoever had taken Serene, they were either from very far away and didn't think any consequences could catch them up, or they were dangerous enough to not care at all. But why target Serene?</p>
<p>A rogue's gallery of enemies past, present and future ran though the Doctor's mind - who would try something like this, and what was the likelihood they would hurt Serene? If her friend was bait for a trap - and again, it wouldn't be the first time someone'd tried that - then surely there'd be a clue, a ransom note, something to follow, but the lack of any information made her dismiss that. Whoever had taken Serene didn't want to leave any trace, and they didn't want to be followed. That was really worrying.</p>
<p>The Doctor checked in with the Galleria organisers, but got nothing. There were no security cameras inside the market, only on the entrances and exits, and Serene hadn't gone through any of those since they'd arrived. No-one had reported witnessing an abduction, either.</p>
<p><em>'So, add 'can take someone from a busy street in broad daylight without being seen' to the list,'</em> the Doctor thought.</p>
<p>She returned to the TARDIS, half-hoping to find her friend waiting for her there, all one big misunderstanding! But how often did that happen? She accessed the TARDIS' records from when it had synced with Serene's memory implant, using that to start a search, hoping to connect with that part, seeing as how it couldn't easily be taken out. But it had either been deactivated or they were cloaking it somehow, so they really didn't want to be found.</p>
<p>The Doctor paced the console room, running through her thoughts until she reached something that made her pause.</p>
<p>"I've been looking at this wrong," she said aloud. "I've been thinking that this is about me, that someone took Serene because of something I did, or to get my attention. But what if that isn't it at all? What if this is nothing to do with me?"</p>
<p>She set the co-ordinates and the TARDIS dematerialised.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>As it rematerialised, she was out of the doors before the wheezing, groaning noise of the engines had even faded.</p>
<p>"Doctor?"</p>
<p>Professor Leyser, a middle-aged, shaven-headed Black woman, got up from her work. She sounded pleased at the Doctor's sudden appearance in her lab, months after their last encounter, when she'd assisted the Doctor in getting her memory problems under control.</p>
<p>"What brings you back to the Order?"</p>
<p>The other woman glanced over the Doctor's shoulder, and she realised the Professor was looking to see if Serene was with her.</p>
<p>"I need your help. Someone took Serene, and I can't trace her."</p>
<p>"Took?" Professor Leyser was alarmed. "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"I mean took. Abducted. Right from under my nose. We were at the Millefiori Galleria and she just vanished."</p>
<p>The Doctor stood right in front of Professor Leyser, eyes boring into hers.</p>
<p>"Tell me everything you know about her. Who brought her here as a baby, and why?"</p>
<p>The Professor dropped her gaze, tugging at her blue tunic.</p>
<p>"I don't know. She was a toddler before I even met her-"</p>
<p>"But you do know something? Tell me, Professor. I need to find her, I don't know what kind of danger she could be in."</p>
<p>The Professor hesitated.</p>
<p>"I'll take you to the archives. Show you everything I know."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She led the Doctor to a room which was banks of monitors and interfaces, built around a central processing unit. The Professor sat at one of the monitors and accessed the personnel files for the Order, searching through for the recordings of Serene's arrival.</p>
<p>"There isn't much. Serene's seen all of this."</p>
<p>What followed was a brief series of films from security cameras. A cloaked figure, hood pulled over its head, departed the spaceport, toting a baby in a carrier. They headed straight for the Order's reception, waited for a quiet moment to deposit the baby carrier outside the front door, and hurried back to the spaceport. Then they vanished into the crowd.</p>
<p>"The Chancellors ordered an investigation, before they decided to allow Serene to stay, as a ward. The person who brought her here was travelling under a false name, using fake ID."</p>
<p>The Professor brought up a picture of a woman, same golden skin and dark hair as Serene but with no other resemblance.</p>
<p>"They covered their tracks well. The ticket was paid for in cash, we don't know if this is even their real face. No-one here had any idea who she could be. I know of a few planets they could be from but…"</p>
<p>The Professor trailed off.</p>
<p>"What? What do you know?"</p>
<p>The Professor sighed, and brought up a different record.</p>
<p>"The Zinariyan Alliance. Around the time Serene was born, they had a particularly nasty civil war, one that went on for years. A lot of people were killed because they were seen to be on the wrong side, and it's likely that's where Serene came from."</p>
<p>"What was the war about?"</p>
<p>"Government, to be simplistic. The Zinariyan Alliance is made up from three planets and their orbiting moons, with a number of space stations. The war was about who got to rule what, if they should remain together or if any should get their independence. It got… messy."</p>
<p>"And Serene?"</p>
<p>The Professor shrugged.</p>
<p>"I don't have anything to go on, but if her family were under threat, or maybe they'd already been killed, then perhaps whoever brought her here thought the Cerebral Order was neutral enough that she'd be safe, no matter what the result of the war was."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor leaned over her shoulder, reading through the record rapidly.</p>
<p>"I don't think I've ever been out that way. I've heard the name, but not much more. You think her family were targeted for some reason?"</p>
<p>"Maybe they were important, to one side or the other."</p>
<p>"Important enough to track her down and abduct her twenty years later?"</p>
<p>More pieces of the puzzle slotted together in the Doctor's head.</p>
<p>"Wait, when the Nevedi were trying to invade, you said there'd been an attack before, when Serene was a baby… they wanted something kept here."</p>
<p>The Professor avoided the Doctor's gaze.</p>
<p>"I thought they meant knowledge, like the Nevedi were after… was it Serene they wanted?"</p>
<p>"I don't know."</p>
<p>"I don't believe you."</p>
<p>The Doctor swivelled the chair the other woman was sitting in so that they were face to face, leaning in with her hands on the armrests. The Doctor's expression made it clear how seriously she was taking this.</p>
<p>"I wasn't involved," Leyser replied, awkwardly. "I wasn't even a professor then, just a researcher. No-one would have told me anything."</p>
<p>"Don't lie to me! If my friend is in trouble, then I need to help her, and I can't do that if people lie to me."</p>
<p>"That's what some people said," the Professor confessed. "The attackers - they never identified themselves, but there were rumours it was the baby they were after. People love a mystery and they love gossip, even at an academic organisation like this. The Chancellors never admitted anything, kept the whole thing quiet. The attack was repelled, and they didn't try again, so if it was her, then she was safe, so what did it matter?"</p>
<p>"Well, it matters now. But I don't have time for this. I need to find her."</p>
<p>The Doctor stormed out, stopping only to pick up a new wrist recall device, in the hope she could use the TARDIS to sync it with Serene's implant and find her that way. If Professor Leyser was correct, then the Zinariyan Alliance was probably where Serene was being taken, but she couldn't rely on that, had to try and intercept. What did they want with her?</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Serene awoke to the sensation of movement.</p>
<p>She regained consciousness slowly, feeling dazed and lethargic as whatever sedative she'd been given began to wear off, but it also partly held back the panic as she tried to move and realised she was tied to a chair. It was being wheeled along but she couldn't see anything, realising there was some kind of hood over her head. Even the drug couldn't stop her from flashing back to her time as a prisoner on Ksako, being experimented on by the Nevedi doctor. No, not again…</p>
<p>"Doctor?" she called, her voice made drowsy by the medication. "Doctor, are you here?"</p>
<p>There was some muffled speech nearby, and the chair paused.</p>
<p>"Nearly home, ma'am," said a voice by her ear.</p>
<p><em>'Home?'</em>  Serene thought as they hurried on. What was that supposed to mean? Whose home? The only home she'd ever known was the estate of the Order, although she'd never really thought if it that way, didn't exactly miss it, not while she was travelling with the Doctor.</p>
<p>A sudden jolt ran through her at the thought that maybe her captor was telling the truth and a feeling of dread began to rise within Serene. When she'd told the Doctor she hadn't wanted to know the truth of her background, it hadn't been a lie, not exactly. There had always been strong curiosity, of course, but now that it seemed she might be about to get her answers, the fear that she wouldn't like what she found was stronger. That she'd been forcibly abducted was only enforcing the fear. And where was the Doctor? Had they taken her too, or worse?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She drifted in and out of consciousness until the chair came to a halt and the hood came off. Artificial light right into her eyes made her flinch and screw up her face. Her eyesight had recovered from the damage Dr Milton had done, but she was still a little sensitive to bright lights. She bit down on rising fear as best she could, aware that struggling would do nothing, trying to still herself.</p>
<p>"It's all right," said a voice, a hand laid on her arm. "You're safe."</p>
<p>Serene opened her eyes a crack, squinting at whoever was speaking.</p>
<p>"Safe? How?"</p>
<p>"This is just a precaution; calm down, it's for your own good."</p>
<p>Fear turned to fury, and Serene had no intention of calming down just because someone told her to.</p>
<p>"What's for my own good? Being abducted? Tied up? Who are you? What's going on?"</p>
<p>"You've been restrained so you don't hurt yourself."</p>
<p>Serene's eyesight returned enough to make out the person in front of her. A woman, not much older than herself and for the first time in Serene's life, she was looking at someone who looked like her. Not identical, but a similar golden skintone and long black hair. Her eyes were a lighter blue, and the girl seemed hesitant to meet her gaze.</p>
<p><em>'And I can understand them.'</em>  Serene realised. <em>'Is that the TARDIS? She's still connected to me somehow? I hope so…'</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Now, Nurse. Step back, please," said another, firmer voice and the young woman obeyed. The new speaker also had the same golden skin; a man in maybe his late forties, with cropped black hair. He wore little silver glasses and had a superior air to him as he regarded Serene.</p>
<p>"You, young lady, have proved spectacularly difficult to find. When we first heard that you'd gone from the Order, we thought we had a chance, but where did you go?"</p>
<p>Serene's feeling of dread spiked, all her worst fears spinning inside her brain.</p>
<p>"You… you know who I am?"</p>
<p>"Of course. I know more about you than you know yourself, I'll wager."</p>
<p>This particularly smug sentence pushed Serene's anger level with her fear, but it was a struggle to not give in to either. The man continued, seemingly unaware of her turmoil.</p>
<p>"You may call me Arran. I'm told you use the name 'Serene.' That's good. We can use that, it's quite proper. Unfortunately, you never had a formal naming ceremony, so we don't know what your parents intended for you."</p>
<p>"My… you know who my parents are?"</p>
<p>Arran seemed a little surprised, but he didn't lose the patronising air.</p>
<p>"So you were never informed? That is surprising. You did grow up in an institution dedicated to knowledge, yes?"</p>
<p>Serene's heart, already beating faster, began to pound. Whoever these people - her people? - were, they knew who she was. They knew. They'd always known she was at the Order, and they'd managed to find her again, despite her becoming a time-traveller. Whatever their plan was, this was something a long time coming.</p>
<p>"Tell me what's going on? And what happened to the Doctor?"</p>
<p>"Who?"</p>
<p>"My friend. She was with me, at the Millefiori Galleria."</p>
<p>As she said this, Serene realised with a start that her wrist device was missing. Had they known it could be used to locate her? She had to assume that they did.</p>
<p>Arran made a dismissive gesture.</p>
<p>"Unimportant. Now, you will be informed of the full details later, but it's best you learn some now."</p>
<p>His tone became grandiose, as if making a great speech before an audience.</p>
<p>"The history of our people, the Zinariya, is long and complex, but before we were the Alliance, we were ruled by Regnants. A sovereign family, a bloodline that can be traced back for centuries. It was thought to have ended with the uprising, but it did not. Because of you."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And just like that, there it was.</p>
<p>Of all the scenarios she'd imagined, working with the slight information she had, this might not have been the absolute worst, but it was definitely up there.</p>
<p>Serene stared back at Arran in stony silence. This puzzled him.</p>
<p>"Do you understand me? You are the last true Regnant of the Zinariya and we have worked very hard for many years to restore you to your throne."</p>
<p>There was a moment's pause, then Serene finally lost her temper.</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>"I beg your pardon-" he began but Serene cut him off.</p>
<p>"No, this is <em>completely</em>  ridiculous! I don't care if my ancestors were king and queen of the whole universe! None of this means a thing, and I won't be a part of any of your utter nonsense!"</p>
<p>Arran was rather taken aback, but quickly pulled himself back together.</p>
<p>"Look, this has come as a shock to you, but it will all make sense soon enough, and you'll realise you have no choice but to accept-"</p>
<p>"I'll do no such thing! And why, in all the galaxies, would the people of this Alliance accept me? I haven't set foot on any of those planets since I was an infant, and nobody has any idea of who I am!"</p>
<p>"The bloodline is what is important, and they will respect that."</p>
<p>Serene took a deep breath, exhaled slowly then sat back, trying to regain her patience. No sense in wasting energy struggling just then. She had to have faith that the Doctor was okay, and that she would find her, rescue her.</p>
<p><em>'I should probably work on escaping in the meantime,'</em> she thought.</p>
<p>"But why?" Serene said aloud. "Why would you even want to restore a hereditary ruling family, after everything that happened in the civil war?"</p>
<p>"It wasn't a civil war!" Arran was outraged. "It was an uprising that should never have succeeded! The bloodline is sacred, the most important thing in our empire and it should be preserved. We may have lost you for twenty years, but we will re-establish the rule of the Regnant over the Zinariya."</p>
<p>Alongside Serene's anger was a sense of escalating horror. This was worse than she'd imagined. At first, it had sounded like these people were merely delusional, clinging to an outdated and nonsensical ideal of hereditary rule. But the more the man talked, the more this sounded like an actual battle plan, that they genuinely meant to restart a war and to put her in the middle of it, as some absurd figurehead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No," she said, as determined as she could. "I refuse. I won't have anything to do with this."</p>
<p>Arran folded his arms, resolute in his convictions.</p>
<p>"You do not have a choice. You are of the bloodline, and you must take your place."</p>
<p>"I will not! Let me go!"</p>
<p>Despite her attempts to control herself, Serene began to struggle against the restraints.</p>
<p>"I don't believe in any of this, and I won't play any part in instigating a war!"</p>
<p>"You need time to process this, I understand. The other Architects of the Revolution will be here soon-"</p>
<p>"The <em>what?"</em></p>
<p>Arran ignored her incredulity.</p>
<p>"Taking your place as Regnant will require some preparation, and we have taken that into account. This is a transitional period. A team of assistants has been assigned to begin creating your new image, to plan for your future."</p>
<p>Arran gestured to the attendant nurse, who gave her another dose of sedative. This one was different; she didn't lose consciousness, but her energy drained immediately, her muscles felt weak and she couldn't struggle anymore. The wheelchair she was tied to was turned around so she was looking out the window.</p>
<p>They were in some sort of apartment, overlooking a open communal area and as the drug took hold, Serene forgot why she was there. It was a beautiful garden, graceful towering architecture combined with living plants in a way that looked like a forest had grown up within and around a modern city.</p>
<p>"We are currently on a space station within the Alliance," Arran continued.</p>
<p>Distracted, Serene wondered what the planets were like, if this was part of the Alliance. She couldn't remember much from what she'd read, back in the Order, seemingly a million years ago. Under other circumstances, this looked to be the kind of place she'd have happily visited, and she wondered what it would be like to wander around down there. And what about the people? Did any of them agree with what her captors were planning? Did they even know that she existed, much less want her to be some figurehead for an uprising?</p>
<p>"We have preparations to finish before you can be moved planetside, but you should get to know what you will rule."</p>
<p>Arran's words snapped her back to reality. If this movement began, then this beautiful park, this whole station and the worlds below could end up engulfed in war, all over again, and that woke the anger back up in Serene, struggling against the sedative that was meant to calm her. She wanted <em>nothing</em> to do with this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But a chime from the door interrupted them, and Arran went to greet the people as they came in. No doubt these were the - what had he called them? The architects of the revolution - an even more absurd name than what they were planning. The ones hoping to lead the movement, to use her to get what they wanted. There were armed guards too, who came to stand beside her; this ludicrous conspiracy appeared frighteningly well organised, not just some crackpots loyal to an almost extinct bloodline, but an actual movement.</p>
<p>While the architects talked, Serene forced herself to examine her feelings, trying to keep calm. Getting locked up was becoming something of a habit, although she couldn't blame this one on the Doctor and her unbridled enthusiasm for getting into - and causing - trouble. She could try and escape, before this got too far, there was still hope.</p>
<p>If someone had come to her at the Order and told her all this, maybe she would have been interested in at least hearing them out, getting some answers. But now she was faced with this all, she found she didn't want to know any more, not a word. And it wasn't just travelling with the Doctor that had changed her, but also having taken in some of the Doctor's memories, which had a habit of manifesting at moments like this.</p>
<p><em>"You think that could destroy me? You think that makes me lesser?"</em>  the Doctor threw back at the man who was trying to torment her. <em>"It makes me more!"</em></p>
<p>Serene had never told the Doctor that she remembered that specific memory. Then she'd met Missy, who was essentially the same person as that man, and now she had some of Missy's memories too, complicating things further.</p>
<p>Serene and the Doctor had talked about her friend's lost memories, and Serene had decided that if the Doctor could live with that, then she herself could live without ever knowing who she 'really' was. Only now that choice had been taken away.</p>
<p>At least she wasn't currently being tortured, or experimented on, or about to be burned alive - perspective helped a little. She had to find a way out, or a way to contact the Doctor, and if she couldn't, then she had to trust that the Doctor would find her, and together they would somehow find a way to stop this from happening</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Disclaimer: anything you recognise isn't mine, etc, etc.</p><p>I was playing around with the trope of 'the companion is someone special', and wanted to go with a situation where they didn't want to be anything special, but are being forced into it, with the story not having any relation to the Doctor for once. I've avoided doing much with Serene's story before so I could develop her a bit more naturally, and hopefully avoid any Mary Sue cliches.</p><p>The Doctor dying her hair pink was because there are some pictures of Jodie's Doctor where the light makes it look like her hair is a kind of rose gold, and I thought it was the kind of thing she'd do. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The men and women who (and Serene couldn't quite believe this was for real) called themselves the Architects of the Revolution, finally finished their discussion and came to stand before Serene as the guards turned the chair she was tied to so she could face them. There was some diversity among them - darker and lighter gold skintones and only two had the same black hair as her. Serene, realising she still knew virtually nothing about her newly-discovered people, wondered how much variation there was within the Alliance.</p>
<p>They all wore navy blue uniforms, not necessarily military, but they were clearly very dedicated to this terrifying crusade. Serene felt uncomfortably like she had under the gaze of Dr Milton on Ksako, like she was being examined. They introduced themselves, a flurry of names she barely heard - Rydan, Furej, Theri, Harvellon.</p>
<p>"While I'm sure you still have many questions," Arran said, his tone still patronizing but now also slightly deferential, an odd mix.</p>
<p>"There is no need for concern. The plan is in motion, everything is being prepared."</p>
<p>"What does that mean, though?" Serene asked. "What plan?"</p>
<p>The group all looked at each other, then back to her.</p>
<p>"It isn't obvious?" This was Theri, one of the women. She was younger than the rest, too young to have any adult recollection of the Regnants' rule, Serene realised. What motivated these people?</p>
<p>"If it was obvious, I wouldn't have to ask, would I?" Serene snapped. She knew she should try and live up to her name and that would probably be more helpful, but she wasn't feeling at all serene, nor did she want to be cooperative to her captors.</p>
<p>"The plan, Highness, to restore you to your throne."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serene couldn't hold back a shout of laughter at that particularly ridiculous sentence, which confused her captors even more. Like Arran, the rest of the architects had clearly been expecting her to welcome her discovery of her 'royalty'. Did they think this was a fairy tale? That an orphan who'd grown up knowing nothing of her past, her family, would be so grateful to find her people that she'd just accept anything they told her? Even if she wasn't ethically opposed to the concept of hereditary rule, she couldn't imagine anyone being comfortable with being used like this, thrown into a war. Or perhaps they'd thought she would want to be important, or would be so dazzled that she wouldn't question anything.</p>
<p>"And more specifically? I mean, I don't know much about the war that, you know, ended the rule-" She wavered, the reality of her situation, of being pushed into a war, suddenly rising up in her thoughts. Pushed that aside, for now, and carried on.</p>
<p>"But it doesn't seem to me that what you're planning will be all that easy?"</p>
<p>"You won't be required to lead troops into battle, if that's what you mean," The second man, Harvellon, the one who did look military, spoke up.</p>
<p>"Your role will be mostly inspirational, until we have succeeded in overthrowing the Alliance, Highness."</p>
<p>"Stop calling me that!"</p>
<p>"You will have many titles, Highness, when you reclaim them. Which would you prefer?"</p>
<p>"My name! I don't want any titles!"</p>
<p>"Humility is not a requirement, Highness. There is no need for false-"</p>
<p>Another man, Furej, seeing the look on Serene's face, interrupted.</p>
<p>"But you were raised in the Cerebral Order. Of course they would have tried to teach you to be a co-operative part of the organisation. But that is over now, and you will soon see that the way we have planned to proceed is best."</p>
<p><em>'No it bloody isn't,'</em>  Serene thought, only just managing to keep that unspoken.</p>
<p>"Does the plan involve untying me?" Serene remarked tartly, her anger turning from fire into ice.</p>
<p>There was an awkward pause.</p>
<p>"The restraints are to prevent you from hurting yourself," Furej replied, not meeting her eyes. He was the eldest, by the look of him, no doubt remembered the old rule better than most, which made Serene suddenly wonder how these people had survived the uprising, if they'd been this loyal, this fanatical. What had they done, while the civil war was tearing down the old civilisation and building up the new one, the Alliance?</p>
<p>He reminded her of the attendants some of the more self-important visiting academics used to bring with them to the Order, the ones who would bow and scrape as if they were in the presence of, well, royalty.</p>
<p>Serene shuddered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"So... you want me to rule several planets, be queen of billions of people, but you're going to keep me locked up and restrained?"</p>
<p>The group said nothing. Their lack of reaction confirmed the suspicion that had been lurking at the back of her mind.</p>
<p>"I see. And when do I get to meet any of these people I'm supposed to be ruler of? That is, the ones who don't know I exist? The people who murdered my entire family in the uprising that took place specifically to get rid of them!"</p>
<p>The architects all looked at each other, discomfort spread over their faces.</p>
<p>"Who told you that?" Theri asked.</p>
<p>"No-one needed to. I wouldn't be the last of my line unless everyone else was dead."</p>
<p>"But who told you they were murdered?" Theri persisted.</p>
<p>"You told me you didn't know your background," Arran pointed out.</p>
<p>Serene sighed. So many thoughts and feelings whirled inside her. It was exhausting just keeping them in check, trying to keep up this infuriating conversation.</p>
<p>"No, I just put two and two together. The possibility that I came from the Zinariyan Alliance was mentioned to me when I was younger. I looked up the civil war, and it said that all the ruling family were killed. Now I'm here, and you're saying they were my family."</p>
<p>"Yes," Furej said, and there was a note of sympathy in his voice at least, perhaps realising that this would be hard to discuss. Maybe he was even capable of seeing her as a person, rather than a useful object.</p>
<p>"You are the very last survivor, Highness."</p>
<p>"Serene. My name is Serene. Don't call me by some stupid title I don't have, don't want and never will!"</p>
<p>Again the architects exchanged looks. Clearly none of them knew how to cope with her reaction.</p>
<p>"There are ways of changing what you want-" Rydan, the older woman began, but was interrupted before she could elaborate on that.</p>
<p>"It's a shame you were stolen away from us," Arran began, more patronizing than ever. "If we'd been able to locate you before the Order took you in, this revolution would have taken place many years ago. You would've been trained, prepared and you would welcome this. But we work with what we have."</p>
<p>Whatever he might have said next was interrupted by a loud crash as the Doctor fell through the ceiling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The occupants of the room stared at her in astonishment as she got to her feet, brushing plaster from herself.</p>
<p>"Oof! Don't think much of the structural engineering of your air ducts. Barely a three out of ten, in my experience."</p>
<p>The guards pulled out their guns, aiming them at the Doctor, but she didn't seem to notice.</p>
<p>"I was actually trying to get to the end of the room, then I thought I might let myself down gently when no-one was looking and rescue my friend there, but, you know. You work with what you have. Hi Serene!"</p>
<p>She waved.</p>
<p>"Doctor! Are you all right?"</p>
<p>Serene hadn't thought the day could hold any more surprises, but then again, travelling with the Doctor had shown her she shouldn't really limit her expectations.</p>
<p>"Course! You think this is the first time I fell through a ceiling? Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"Um, I don't know."</p>
<p>The guards left Serene's side and approached the Doctor, who quickly pulled something out of her pocket and brandished it at them.</p>
<p>"Careful! Don't get too close, or I might detonate this deadly explosive device!"</p>
<p>They halted, eyes fixed on the little metal box she held.</p>
<p>"Ma'am, that's a tin of mints," one of them pointed out.</p>
<p>"You're right, it is."</p>
<p>She took one out and ate it.</p>
<p>"Just seeing if I could buy myself some time. Good eyes though."</p>
<p>Harvellon, who appeared to be in command of the guards as well as an Architect, recognised the potential threat, despite the strangeness of the Doctor's appearance and actions, and gestured to the guards. They quickly moved to flank the Doctor, holding their guns to her in case she tried anything else.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" Harvellon demanded. "And what do you think you're doing?"</p>
<p>"I'm the Doctor. Think you know my friend Serene over there, seeing as how you abducted her from my side at the Millefiori Galleria."</p>
<p>Her flippant tone and light manner vanished.</p>
<p>"I don't take too kindly to people snatching my friends and transporting them halfway across the galaxy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Regnant, do you know this woman?" Arran asked Serene, who was still confused as to how to react.</p>
<p>"Yes, she's my-" she thought rapidly, trying to anticipate their reaction. "My companion. We travel together."</p>
<p>"Companion?" This was both the Zinariyans and the Doctor, the latter not sure if she felt complimented or insulted.</p>
<p>"Is she important?" Harvellon asked, and Serene decided to take a risk. They wanted her to play a part, maybe she should try. She tossed her head and adopted an arrogant air.</p>
<p>"Not at all. But she is loyal to me. After all, she followed me this far, didn't she? I tasked her with my protection, and no doubt to make up for failing to deter you at the Galleria, she made her way here to ensure that I was safe."</p>
<p>The Doctor opened her mouth to protest at this, then thought better of it and shut it again. She hadn't expected this sort of deception from Serene; she'd come a long way from a sheltered lay Sister.</p>
<p>The Zinariyans stared at the strange, pink-haired alien before them, trying to work out what kind of protection she could provide.</p>
<p>"You won't need some off-worlder, Highness," Harvellon said. "We have more than sufficient security."</p>
<p>"A… an assistant, then," Serene searched for a non-threatening word that might make them put their guns down. Then again, she herself was still tied to a chair.</p>
<p>"A handmaiden?" Theri suggested.</p>
<p>"Oi!" the Doctor protested, but she was ignored.</p>
<p>"She can be part of my, what would you call it, retinue? Look, you want me to co-operate, don't you? Let her stay with me, and everything will be easier."</p>
<p>The architects looked at the hole on the ceiling, the broken air duct jutting through, then back at the Doctor, who shrugged. Maybe Serene's approach was better than direct confrontation, just then. There was clearly a lot going on here. And they weren't just going to forget about Serene, even if she could get her out of there.</p>
<p>"Very well. For the moment, she can remain. As it is, you should be processed now, before we can proceed."</p>
<p>"And what does that mean?"</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>What processing meant, it turned out, was that finally Serene was untied from the chair. Unfortunately, this was followed by a physical examination. Theri, who appeared to be a doctor of some kind, supervised the medical tests that followed, a series of medics poking and prodding Serene, taking measurements, blood samples and running a lot of tests she had no idea what the purpose of them were. But she was treated basically well, even if they wouldn't talk to her at all, and most wouldn't even look at her.</p>
<p>Then she was taken to (and locked in) a private chamber, where the Doctor was waiting for her. Instead of her usual blue/grey coat and rainbows, she'd been dressed in the white scrubs-like outfit of the attendants and she stood in the middle of the room, arms folded.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Handmaiden?"</em>
</p>
<p>Serene let out an exhausted sigh, sitting down on the weird backless sofa-thing in the middle of the room. The drugs she'd been given had worn off, but she still felt completely worn out.</p>
<p>"Look, <em>I</em>  never said that! And… it's been a really long, really strange day, and I'm struggling to keep a handle on things, okay?"</p>
<p>She leaned her forehead in her hands, breathing slowly. The Doctor came over and stood by her.</p>
<p>"I think we need to have a talk, don't you?"</p>
<p>Her tone was ambiguous, and Serene found she was nervous, unsure of what the Doctor's reaction would be.</p>
<p>"How much did you hear, before you… dropped in?"</p>
<p>"Oh, I was there before your fancy new friends came in. Takes quite a while, crawling through air ducts and trying to be quiet."</p>
<p>"So…"</p>
<p>Serene risked looking up. The Doctor raised her eyebrows.</p>
<p>"So I found out my best friend is somehow queen of several planets?"</p>
<p>"Oh, don't!"</p>
<p>Serene groaned, rolling on her back and pressing her hands to her face.</p>
<p>"This whole thing is just so ridiculous! I can't even believe it's even happening. They keep calling me Highness!"</p>
<p>"I don't mean the plan they have to kick off an uprising and restart a civil war, which they'll probably do with or without you. No, what we should probably discuss is the fact that you knew about your family all along, and you lied to me."</p>
<p>Her tone sharpened, and Serene felt a weird twist in her stomach, like guilt but with it, a flare of resentment. She didn't like having to explain herself.</p>
<p>"I didn't lie to you-"</p>
<p>"You told me you didn't know who you were, or where you came from."</p>
<p>"I didn't! I don't. The Zinariyan Alliance was one possibility, yes, but I never <em>knew.</em>"</p>
<p>"That's not what I mean. You were left at the Cerebral Order with a note saying to look after you, but it didn't say anything about what happened to your family. But the day I met you, you told me you were an orphan."</p>
<p>Serene looked up at her. The Doctor wasn't angry as such, but she did look serious, and that made Serene uncomfortable. She'd been hoping the Doctor would come and rescue her, but she hadn't anticipated this.</p>
<p>"You knew your family were dead all along. What else did you know?"</p>
<p>"Nothing for sure…"</p>
<p>"I went back to the Order."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This surprised Serene. She sat back up.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"Because you vanished, and I couldn't trace you! I was worried, thought anyone could have taken you. But the fact that they just took you, didn't so much as speak to me… I mean, I have built up a bit of a reputation in a couple of thousand years, you know. There's a lot of people and that out there who've been known to hold a grudge, and I wouldn't put it past them to take you to try and get at me. But this wasn't about me, so it had to be about you."</p>
<p>Serene dropped her gaze again, but the Doctor knelt in front of her, not letting her look away.</p>
<p>"This is serious, Serene. Why did you lie to me?"</p>
<p>"I didn't… Look, these messages appeared, years ago. They were smuggled in somehow, I never told anyone at the Order about them."</p>
<p>"What did the messages say?"</p>
<p>"Not much." Serene shuffled to sit cross-legged, and the Doctor got up, sitting beside her.</p>
<p>"They'd been corrupted, there were bits missing. They didn't mention the Zinariyan Alliance, but they did say that my parents had been important, and that they'd been killed. I sort of put everything together."</p>
<p>She shrugged, trying to put it all into words. Everything was so confusing, and it was hard to keep an even keel through it all.</p>
<p>"I had no idea if it was real; it could have been a mistake, or some sick joke. There was nothing to prove it was even me the message was for. It's not like I <em>wanted</em> this to be true!"</p>
<p>"You said if you went looking, you might not like what you found," the Doctor mused, remembering.</p>
<p>"And I don't. If anything, I always wanted it to be wrong. I'd rather be a nobody than a somebody, if it meant… well, if my whole family had been murdered, and that I might always be in danger because of that? No wonder I got dumped somewhere as quiet as the Order."</p>
<p>Thinking of where she'd grown up reminded Serene of her training, self-control. Sometimes she resented it, especially that they'd always wanted her to be quiet and well-behaved, but she admitted to herself that it was of some use now, stopping her from being completely overwhelmed.</p>
<p>"You should've told me," the Doctor said. "If I'd known, I could've kept away from this galaxy, this time. Kept you safe."</p>
<p>Serene shut her eyes again, that weird guilt twist in her stomach once more.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. At most, I always thought, if any of it was true, that someone might want to kill me, if they knew who I was. Finish the job, maybe even that there was a price on my head or something. Not this. I never even imagined <em>this.</em>"</p>
<p>"They seem pretty sure you're who they say you are."</p>
<p>Serene shrugged.</p>
<p>"That woman, Theri. She took blood samples, among other things. I suppose we'll know soon enough if they're right or wrong."</p>
<p>There was a pause.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"All the same, you could've told me," the Doctor said. "It doesn't matter to me who your family are, or were."</p>
<p>"I don't know how much it matters to me," Serene replied, still processing her own reaction. "I spent my life not knowing, almost got used to it. And if the answer was just… some ordinary person, then it wouldn't have made any difference, would it?"</p>
<p>"Well…" the Doctor said. "It was a bit of a shock to find out I've been travelling with Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanova of Russia."</p>
<p>"I - don't know who that is."</p>
<p>"Never mind."</p>
<p>The Doctor wondered if it would help to mention to Serene that she herself had been made President of two planets at different times in her life. Maybe not.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"That depends. Can you get us out of here?" Serene asked. "I mean, a long way away?"</p>
<p>"Probably. But now we're here, now we're involved, we should probably try and put a stop to them restarting a civil war, if we can. Otherwise this is just gonna escalate, and they'll always be looking for you."</p>
<p>"Oh." Serene realised this was true. "So… what do we do?"</p>
<p>"You should probably play along for a bit. See how much they'll tell you."</p>
<p>Serene grimaced.</p>
<p>"I doubt they'll tell me anything. And it's not like they actually plan on letting me rule them, if I accept. All I am is a figurehead."</p>
<p>"Hmm. Wasn't sure if you'd picked up on that. Best not mention to any of them that you know."</p>
<p>"I'm not stupid, Doctor."</p>
<p>"Didn't say you were. But everything we've done before, none of that was personal to you, was it? Try not to let that distract you."</p>
<p>Serene bit her lip.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I figured they might well kill me once they got what they want."</p>
<p>"Maybe. That's not all I meant. This station, these planets? This was where you would've grown up, if things'd gone differently."</p>
<p>"Oh." That hadn't quite occurred to Serene yet. "Yes, I see what you mean. I saw the garden, the park outside here. It looks beautiful."</p>
<p>"Ask them to show you around? That could keep them busy while I do what I do best."</p>
<p>"Make trouble?"</p>
<p>The Doctor smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For all that the Regnant loyalists wanted to keep Serene on a tight leash, they weren't really that concerned with what the Doctor did. Both travellers were a little surprised that the alien 'handmaiden' was allowed out into the city-station, while Serene was thrust into the new role they were creating for her. The idea seemed to be that the Doctor could explore, then report back to her 'mistress' (and that word made the Doctor even more uncomfortable), saving the need for Serene to see it herself.</p><p>So while Serene was being fitted for new formal clothing (including, rather optimistically, some kind of coronation robes), lectured to on how she should behave in public and given drafts of speeches, the Doctor went to nose about.</p><p>She quickly discovered that the space station had two main purposes; the first being as a kind of entry point to the Zinariyan Alliance for many travellers, who would be processed here before being allowed onto any of the planets or moons. The second was a quite advanced R&amp;D scientific lab, one that consulted with many other races and societies, hence it being on the edge of the immigration zone.</p><p>Under different circumstances, the Doctor could have spent many fascinated days, even weeks, seeing what they were up to - especially as everyone assumed she had already been processed on arrival and had permission to wander freely, unaware that she'd bypassed all of that with the TARDIS - but she was very aware of the bigger picture. As she wasn't sure who on the station was in on the planned coup, she did a bit of surreptitious hacking.</p><p>There was a communication thread between the architects that was very informative, allowing the Doctor to track some of the people whose jobs sounded the most important, and she went to bother them.</p><p> </p><p>"And how exactly do you fit into all this?" the woman in the white coat asked, glancing up from her soldering.</p><p>"Oh, you know. I assist. Here and there. Make myself useful."</p><p>Having been cast in the role of 'companion', the Doctor found she was deliberately making herself seem smaller, wanting people to underestimate her. It was strange, but also kind of liberating. Her new pink hair seemed to help; people didn't take her seriously, but they also let her in anywhere she wanted, barely questioned her at all. Most of them didn't know the first thing about Serene and weren't terribly curious to learn about her, which made the Doctor realise that not only was the coup not really about putting her friend in charge, but most of the people involved had wildly different ideas about what was going to be achieved.</p><p>Politically, it was about a regime change, but most of the support from the scientists seemed to be in exchange for a promise of funding for work that was not currently being supported. The woman she was with now, Dr Tilin, was an engineer who built and programmed drones, and for a scientist, she was remarkably incurious as to the potential applications her work could have.</p><p>"I thrive on challenges," she said, when the Doctor brought that up. "What can be done, and if it can't, why? And how can we change that?"</p><p>"What about if it <em>should </em> be done?" the Doctor asked. "Because, I've met a lot of people who didn't worry about that until it was too late."</p><p>"How d'you mean?" the woman frowned, pushing her glasses back up her nose.</p><p>The Doctor sighed.</p><p>"The people behind all this… how much do you know about them? Their plan, this coup. A lot of people could get hurt."</p><p>"I'm not from here," Tilin pointed out, indicating her skin, which was a light brown, rather than the golden tones of the Zinariya.</p><p>"This is just a job. I was hired to build tech, so that's what I do. I don't get involved in politics."</p><p>"Do you even know the history of this Alliance?" the Doctor asked. "How it came to be?"</p><p>Tilin's frown deepened.</p><p>"No… I've never been one for looking backwards. Development, the push forward, achieving what no-one's ever done before. Most of us are probably the same; you don't tend to find a lot of scientists who are also history buffs."</p><p><em>'Speak for yourself,'</em> the Doctor thought.</p><p>"Do us a favour, Tilin. Look up the civil war they had here, then think about if you want to still be here when it all kicks off again."</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor moved on, plans forming and whirling in her head. She had to ensure this was all halted with a minimum of actual violence, and she had to not only get Serene out, but find a way that they would never come for her again. Using some kind of a perception filter on her friend, maybe? Erasing all reference to her in every database, like she'd done for herself once?</p><p>But these architects were clearly fixated on the idea of restoring the bloodline to a ruling position, and they wouldn't give up easily. She still didn't know how they'd even found Serene in the Millefiori Galleria.</p><p>She spoke to a few other scientists, all of who shared Tilin's sentiments. There was a chance they could be persuaded to oppose the coup, or at least, if they didn't want to get involved, then maybe they wouldn't. They could find other work, which didn't mean getting caught up in what was likely to be a bloody uprising.</p><p>There weren't all that many troops on the station, other then those who dealt with immigration, so the architects must have sympathetic soldiers elsewhere, if they were confident of success. While weapons development wasn't officially part of the R&amp;D here on the station, the Doctor knew better than most that weapons didn't need to be called that to serve a violent purpose.</p><p>A moment's irritation flashed through her. She was tired of constantly having to thwart evil plans. Not the thwarting itself, necessarily, but the never-ending procession of power-hungry egomaniacs trying to claw their way to the top, not caring who they hurt in the process. Maybe she should just blow this all up, that'd be one way of ending it all.</p><p>
  <em>'Wait, what?'</em>
</p><p>The Doctor stopped, puzzled by her own thought process. Tired of thwarting evil plans? Should just blow things up? Where did that come from? Not that she didn't enjoy a good explosion every now and then, but she wouldn't just blow up a space station full of innocent people, no matter what some of its occupants might be planning. Something was trying to manipulate her thoughts.</p><p>She ducked into the park, found a quiet spot and sat, closing her eyes, listening.</p><p>Nothing obvious, so if it was subliminal messaging, it was very clever, very subtle. But if it was affecting her, even fleetingly, then it must be powerful, so were they planning on recruiting the whole station, as part of the plan? That could change things a bit. But if they could do that, then what else could they do?</p><p>They wouldn't want her to think about blowing them up, but it may have been intended to make her support their uprising, destroying the Alliance… maybe they hadn't left her as alone as she'd thought.</p><p>The Doctor took out her sonic, hidden within her attendant's uniform, and began taking readings, scanning for anything broadcasting. There were multiple networks set up, huge amounts of data being exchanged across the station, as you might expect. Too much for the sonic to isolate anything from here.</p><p>She needed to investigate this properly.</p><p> </p><p>The border guard's day had been going well, or at least, not badly. A few arguments, the odd bit of contraband confiscated, but no real trouble, not until the white-skinned, pink-haired woman in the attendant's outfit came pushing through the crowd in the wrong direction.</p><p>"You can't come back through this way, Madam," he began, but she just stepped under the archway, arms out from her sides.</p><p>"Scan me!"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Scan me! I need to know if there're any implants or tech in me that I didn't put there, and I can't trust my own equipment right now, cos if there is something that's been put there I don't know about, I might not see it."</p><p>The guard's confusion rocketed.</p><p>"Um, anything like that would've shown up in your initial scan-"</p><p>"What I'm worried about is that something's been implanted since then. Scan me!"</p><p>Rather than risk another stream-of-consciousness reply, the guard decided to just comply with her request.</p><p>"Anything?" the Doctor asked.</p><p>"Uh…" he looked at the screens, which were throwing up all sorts of readings he had never seen before.</p><p>"Specifically, I'm looking for anything that might broadcast a signal, or interfere with brainwaves, but we could be looking at something ingested, messing with my brain and body chemistry that way. Come on, chop chop!"</p><p>"There's a few things…" He saved a picture of the scan, so that she could come and examine the results.</p><p>"Okay, I know what that is. And that. So… either something too small to be detected on a scan, nanites maybe? Or it's chemical. I need a second opinion."</p><p>Ingestion was probably right. Damn it, she'd not been suspicious enough.</p><p> </p><p>There was a hospital built into the station, nothing specialist but there was a quarantine aspect to the station, so there were labs for blood tests. The Doctor managed to bluff her way into one, taking samples from herself and running them through whatever equipment she could get access to.</p><p><em>'If it's nanites, probably won't show up with this sort of equipment… something chemical will, but I'll need to counter it,'</em> she thought, as the computer worked through her blood sample. <em>'Wonder if they have an electron microscope.'</em></p><p>Because waiting around was something she'd never been very good at, she went to find one. The general acceptance of the Doctor poking around, with very little concern as to what she was up to, gave credence to her theory that everyone had been subjected to something similar, something that stopped them questioning much. They let her use the electron microscope, and she got her answer.</p><p>
  <em>'Nanites, then. By the looks of it, they're built to deliver a drug, then self-replicate. I'd guess they're clever enough to adjust the levels according to each individual, if it's being used on everyone. Safer than just drugging the water or the air, if a bit more complex. I bet whoever's in charge thinks they're well clever.'</em>
</p><p>After a bit more experimentation than she really had patience for, the Doctor found she could interfere with the programming of the nanites with her sonic, shutting them down so they would float harmlessly through the bloodstream and eventually be filtered out of the body.</p><p>Armed with this, the Doctor went back to pick up the results from the blood tests, which matched up with her suspicions. Traces of something she'd not specifically seen before, but knew the signs of - some sort of neurochemical that heightened suggestibility. Which meant there probably was some kind of subliminal broadcast as well, and if they'd done this to her, despite not particularly caring about her, then what had they done to other people living here?</p><p>And, more to the point, what could they have done to Serene?</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor hurried back to the apartment where Serene was being kept, but her friend wasn't there and nobody would tell her where she was. Again, there was a flare of irritation from within, but now she knew that it was subliminal suggestion, and without the chemicals from the nanites, it was easier to ignore. She squashed it down, along with the temptation to just grab Serene and get out of there, leaving the architects to their squalid little power grab. A quick search of the apartment discovered her coat, but not the rest of her clothes, seemingly disposed of.</p><p>"I really liked those trousers," she muttered, more upset by the loss of her outfit than she'd thought she would be. There was a flash of memory, of picking out those clothes in a charity shop in Sheffield with Ryan and Yaz. <em>'All gone now...'</em></p><p>She tried to push that aside. No time for wallowing, not now.</p><p>"Oh, and the rainbow braces! They were brilliant!"</p><p>But she had her coat - and the contents of her pockets, thankfully - and she'd bought new things at the Galleria. It wasn't the end of the world. Hopefully not, anyway.</p><p>To keep herself occupied while she waited, she accessed the computer in the room. The controls on this one were a lot tighter than elsewhere, and she didn't want to draw too much attention this early, so instead of hacking into anything too protected, she took her own advice and read through the recorded history of the last uprising.</p><p>Usually, she didn't involve herself in this bit, the what-happened-next part, but it was probably a good idea to familiarise herself with the basics. So - the first planet in this system to develop intelligent life was Taer Prime, now the largest in the Alliance. Once the inhabitants had mastered space travel, they began colonising the uninhabited planets nearby, which became satellite states.</p><p>Sito, an agricultural planet, 'fed' the others, while Kenna had greater deposits of natural resources that were mined, processing and shipped off to benefit Taer Prime. This inequality obviously caused resentment, the colonies wanting to rule themselves, an age old story, something that happened over and over throughout the galaxies, throughout history.</p><p>In the twenty years since the revolution, and the execution of the Regnant family, there had been a lot of in-fighting, both literal and more metaphorically, until an uneasy truce had been reached, and now each planet ruled itself, as part of the larger Alliance. Not perfect, but then what was? At least people had a choice, were allowed to move around as they pleased.</p><p>What the Doctor had gleaned from her poking about was that this coup would end that, bringing the other planets, the moon colonies and all the other space stations back under one rule, much tighter control. No more independence, suffrage, identity. Again, same old, same old.</p><p>"Are there no new ideas out there?" the Doctor mused aloud. "When this is done, I'm gonna go so far out, far away from anything I've seen before. I want to be surprised, really surprised again. I don't mean 'finding out your friend is secretly a queen' surprise, I'm talking about when I meet sentient planetoids, or living universes that take on frog form and borrow voices from my dead friends. Psychic weather manifestations, multi-dimensional aliens, fish with three heads! I've had enough of people wanting power and wars."</p><p>And this time, it wasn't the outside interference making her think that.</p><p>
  <em>'I'm tired. Need to find something new and exciting again. But not yet. Still got work to do.'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>After a while, Serene swept back in. Her bearing was different already, more formal, and she wasn't her usual friendly self at all. Aloof, perhaps, almost… regal. The Zinariyan attendants had not followed her in, thankfully, so maybe there was a chance to talk properly.</p><p>"How was your day?" The Doctor asked, and Serene sighed, dropping her formal robe on the floor to lie in a crumpled heap.</p><p>"Tedious. Furej has written all these speeches and they want me to learn them off by heart, rather than read them, so we spent <em>hours</em> on that. Then they kept changing their mind about what I should be wearing when they reveal me - pick that up, would you?"</p><p>She indicated the robe, pulling fresh garments out of the storage units on the wall. She didn't even notice the Doctor's expression darken at her actions.</p><p>"And my head <em>aches</em>. Fetch the hairbrush, and brush my hair when you're done with the clothes? We must have gone through a thousand different hairstyles today, I think."</p><p>She turned back to see the Doctor hadn't moved, standing with her arms folded, staring at her with a face like thunder.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"When did I become one of your little followers? Or more to the point, when did you start acting like you really are a queen?"</p><p>Serene frowned.</p><p>"I don't know what you mean. All I asked is you help me out-"</p><p>"No, you were bossing me about, like I was your <em>handmaiden</em>. And that's not you, no matter what you have to pretend here to survive."</p><p>The Doctor took out her sonic, accessed the readings she'd taken from herself and scanned Serene, looking for a matching reading.</p><p>"Wow, no wonder you've changed. That's at least three times more than what I found in me."</p><p>"What insolence is this?" Serene began, but the Doctor performed a quick movement, paralysing her friend temporarily with Venusian Aikido.</p><p>"Don't want to hurt you, 'cos this isn't you talking, but I'm not putting up with that sort of yammering. I need to fix this."</p><p>Using the frequencies she'd worked out earlier, she used the sonic to deactivate the nanites. It would take a bit of time to flush out the chemical completely, but so long as she could prevent any further interference, it would be effective.</p><p> </p><p>She moved her fingertip away from Serene's throat, releasing her.</p><p>"What was<em> that?"</em></p><p>But the Doctor wasn't finished. Moving on to the memory implant behind Serene's ear, she reactivated it, and her friend winced so hard she nearly fell over.</p><p>"Ow! What did you do?"</p><p>"Switched it back on properly. Don't know what they did to it when they first took you, but it was really hard to use it to find you. Fortunately the TARDIS remembers you."</p><p>Serene looked really confused.</p><p>"What - what just happened? Everything's gone weird and swimmy."</p><p>"The Zinariyans are manipulating you."</p><p>Serene looked no more enlightened.</p><p>"Doctor, I'm a Zinariyan."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, suppose you are. But you know what I mean. The people holding you, what's it they call themselves? Architects. They don't just want you to learn speeches and put on nice frocks. They're using you, don't forget that."</p><p>Serene frowned again, then her expression cleared.</p><p>"I thought they'd been going rather easy on me. I mean, they kept me tied to a chair when we first got here. Now they're not even insisting on watching me all the time. Wait, are they monitoring us right now?"</p><p>The Doctor tapped her sonic.</p><p>"They think they are. So long as we look like we're playing along, they shouldn't notice. How're you feeling?"</p><p>"Weird. What else did you get up to, then?"</p><p>"Poked about."</p><p> </p><p>She explained how the architects, wanting to stir up resentment with the Alliance, were manipulating people through nanites, chemtech and subliminal control so that they would be more likely to support the coup when it came.</p><p>"I thought it was odd how no one here's concerned with a war kicking off," the Doctor continued. "Suppose that means the manipulation's being done on everyone. I wonder if it's just this station, or on the planets as well, and what else they've got planned. It'd explain why they're so confident."</p><p>"Yes, they've started letting a few things slip about what they intend the regime to be like," Serene said, processing slowly. "Not just what they're expecting me to do but how they want to close this whole Alliance off from the rest of the galaxy, lock everyone down and rule them with an iron fist. But they genuinely do think it's important to re-establish the Regnant rule; that's why they waited so long to make this move."</p><p>She shivered.</p><p>"It's creepy to think they always knew where I was, but they weren't powerful enough to try and attack the Order."</p><p>"Not more than once, anyway," the Doctor said, without thinking.</p><p>Serene stared at her, working out what she meant.</p><p>"That- that was about me, too? When I was a baby, they tried to get me back?"</p><p>The Doctor nodded, and to her surprise, tears started up in Serene's eyes.</p><p>"This is real, isn't it? People have gotten hurt, and so many more are going to die, because of me?"</p><p>"No. Not because of you. You can't blame yourself; you never asked for any of it, did you?"</p><p>"That doesn't mean I'm not responsible."</p><p>Serene sat down on the floor, hands covering her face as she held back rising sobs.</p><p>"I don't know what to do. I can't keep this up, knowing that they're willing to kill so many people, and they're going to do it in my name. How can I stand this?"</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor hovered awkwardly, then knelt next to her, hearts aching in sympathy.</p><p>"We won't let it happen. I wouldn't ask you to just sit by and watch, and you don't have to accept it. They might say they're doing it in your name, but you know that isn't true."</p><p>Serene tried to take a deep breath, but panic was gripping her tight and her chest shuddered at the effort.</p><p>"I can't… this can't be how the universe sees me. I never wanted to be important, and I don't want people thinking this is who I am, what I am, remembering me as a tyrant!"</p><p>"I won't lie to you, Serene. You can't control how others see you, what they think of you. But remember your name, what it means."</p><p>Serene closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.</p><p>"And trust me," the Doctor said. "We'll fix this, you and me. Come on, ey? We've done all right so far, haven't we?"</p><p>Serene took another breath, steadier this time.</p><p>"I'm sorry-"</p><p>"Don't you dare apologise for having feelings. I know this is hard, that it matters to you, but you matter to me too. And I will always do whatever I can to help you, I promise."</p><p>But Serene still wouldn't look up, wiping away tears.</p><p>"I know."</p><p>The Doctor squeezed her shoulder.</p><p>"Take your time. I've got a couple of things I need to be getting on with, now I've a better idea of what they're planning. If they're using the same chemtech on the rest of the people here as they are on us, then I might be able to intercept that, break it down. And don't worry, the ones in you can't control you any more. So long as the architects don't realise this, you should be alright."</p><p>Serene took another deep breath, then exhaled slowly. The Doctor was right. She could get through this, and they would fix this, as best they could.</p><p>"Okay."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Disclaimer: anything you recognise isn't mind, etc.</p><p>This got a bit exposition-y, hope you're enjoying it so far!</p><p>I'm putting updates on pause for a while, (I wrote this in the summer), seeing as it's probably not the best time to post a story about a violent illegal coup...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This probably still isn't the best time to be writing about an attempted coup, but things seems a tiny bit more settled, so I'm going to carry on updating this story (which was written last summer, and is already posted on fanfiction.net)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Doctor went back to see Dr Tilin, surreptitiously using the sonic to break down the nanites inside her, as she'd done with herself and Serene.</p>
<p>"How'd the homework go?" the Doctor asked.</p>
<p>"Hmm?" The scientist was busily making adjustments to the drone on the table in front of her.</p>
<p>"What homework?"</p>
<p>"About the civil war they had here. Years of bloodshed and fighting over government that you're perfectly happy to let start up again?"</p>
<p>Tilin looked up, confused. As the nanites shut down, the hold on her began to break, the suggestion used to make her complacent fading. The Doctor wondered who'd designed it, how exactly it worked - it made some people pliable, others resentful, it seemed, so it couldn't be just one thing.</p>
<p>But first things first.</p>
<p>"What did you say? War?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Tilin. The civil war your employers want to start, and that you're designing drones for?"</p>
<p>The other woman's confusion deepened, then she looked down at her work and did a double take.</p>
<p>"What am I doing? I came here to build rescue drones, for accidents, disasters, medical emergencies. These are meant to be sent into places that aren't safe for people."</p>
<p>"So what were you doing instead?" the Doctor asked.</p>
<p>"I..." Tilin shook her head, trying to line up her memories as the suggestion faded.</p>
<p>"They asked us to build spy drones, ones that could follow people, identify anyone, send information on them back to those in charge. And…"</p>
<p>Her eyes widened in shock as she realised what she'd been doing.</p>
<p>"We - my team. We've been weaponising them. So they could attack specific people in crowds. Why did I agree to that?"</p>
<p>"The people trying to start a coup have been manipulating us, using chemtech," the Doctor told her. "I don't know how, exactly. D'you know who'd be capable of building something like that?"</p>
<p>"I -" Tilin was still in shock, staring at the drone.</p>
<p>"Um, there's a few teams who work along those lines. I mean, I didn't notice that was what they were doing until just now. What's going on, Doctor?"</p>
<p>"I wondered why they took so long to make a move. I know they didn't have Serene, but they could've started this earlier, put her in place when they were done. I suppose they wanted to be sure they could win first. And some of them are too young to have been active in the last uprising. They must've been gathering forces as well as technology to help them."</p>
<p>"Doctor?" Tilin was still struggling to understand.</p>
<p>"Look, I've got work to do. What sort of security clearance do you have?"</p>
<p>"I'm only Level 3. The two higher levels are mostly security workers and those in charge."</p>
<p>"Then how about you see what you can find at your level, while I go have a chat with those who design chemtech. I'll be back."</p>
<p>And the Doctor vanished, leaving a bewildered Tilin behind.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Relying on techniques that were (usually) reliable, the Doctor forewent mentioning her connection to Serene this time, using the psychic paper to gain access to the right labs and diving straight in.</p>
<p>The work they were doing was fascinating, if being used in a horrifyingly immoral way. As with Tilin, it seemed the work had begun with a completely different aim - something about tackling mental illnesses and helping people recover from trauma - then had been twisted into a form of mind control, or at least deep suggestion that could make people do what those in charge wanted, without even knowing they were doing it. How long had this been going on? Was this the breakthrough that had led them to kickstart their little revolution, and it just happened to coincide with them finding Serene?</p>
<p>But of course answers like that were never just sitting around on computers, so the Doctor settled for finding out everything she could about the chemtech.</p>
<p>It wasn't good news. Already in place across the station and down on Taer Prime, they were planning to start distributing it large-scale on the other planets and moons too, and this would coincide with Serene's reveal. They were hoping for acceptance of their plan, but surely chemtech wouldn't hold when things really started to change? Getting people to adapt their work was one thing - and the workers on this station could have been exposed for a long time - but when it came to the law, real physical changes, then it would take incredibly strong mind control to keep people in line.</p>
<p>That was where Dr Tilin's drones came in, she supposed. She couldn't find the source of the subliminal broadcast either, so she went back and asked the engineer how she was getting on.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Tilin had pulled herself together and was working like a demon to undo all she had been doing since the chemtech took over. Fortunately her team was located in a separate lab, so she hadn't been detected.</p>
<p>"I've sent out a software upgrade for each drone," she said as a greeting, when the Doctor came back in. "I should be able to use that to deactivate or override the weaponry that's being added."</p>
<p>"Good work, keep on it. How about getting through security in the computers?"</p>
<p>Tilin nodded at a monitor on the far side of the room.</p>
<p>"It's running a search now, seeing what it can find undetected. I hope undetected, anyway."</p>
<p>"Let me have a look."</p>
<p>Quickly, the Doctor put everything together. Yes, she'd been right. Chemtech distribution first, then they would announce their intentions to the whole Alliance, including the existence of Serene, who'd be the figurehead for the entire thing. Maybe Serene had been right to be so upset - not only would it appear that she was a willing part of a bloody revolution, (and despite the use of chemtech, it would end up bloody), but she would be the one presented to the rest of the universe as the creator of this all. An unknown heir, previously thought dead, come back to take her throne by any means necessary - the exact opposite of what she actually was. They probably had a backstory created to explain why she'd never been heard of before, or maybe the architects had been spreading a story of a lost princess for the last twenty years.</p>
<p>But the files the Doctor could access were not the high security ones, so there was no doubt a lot she was missing. Even thinking their staff were complacent, the architects wouldn't leave their plans lying around for anyone to trip over. There was a lot more to do here. The Doctor looked over Tilin's work, gave her a few helpful pointers, and decided it was best to head back to Serene's room, not wanting to leave her friend alone too long.</p>
<p>"I'll be in touch," she told the engineer, who was already engrossed in her work.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>The rooms were empty, which wasn't surprising in itself, but as the Doctor looked around, she noticed they were even more empty than she was expecting. Shelves were sparse, and as she opened the doors to the storage units, they were stripped bare.</p>
<p>Alarm bells ringing, she scanned for Serene's recall implant with the sonic, and got nothing.</p>
<p>"They moved her. I should never've left her with them… she must be a long way away if I can't get a reading. Have they gone to Taer Prime already?"</p>
<p>And then the Doctor realised she'd been slow, far too slow. Had the nanites been part of that, or had she been lulled by the pace they seemed to be taking with Serene? This was, after all, a plan years in the making. But because they'd moved slowly before, didn't mean they would now.</p>
<p>Pulling her coat back on over the attendant uniform, she raced for the TARDIS, hidden away in a nearby storage space. She'd managed to connect to the recall implant before, she could again, and maybe she could intervene before anything serious began.</p>
<p>But the TARDIS wasn't there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor stared in utter horror at the empty space where she'd left her beloved ship, realising that she hadn't just been slow, she'd been almost blind. The ease with which she'd wandered the station, working out their plans, suddenly seemed less like complacency and more like a distraction.</p>
<p>Even without knowing who the Doctor was, they'd somehow realised that letting her roam free, rather than locking her up had been more effective in keeping her away from Serene, and everything she'd discovered seemed useless. They'd taken her friend, not once but twice, and this time, intentionally or not, they'd made extra sure she couldn't follow. Maybe they'd recognised the TARDIS was a ship, or had it just been removed by a security force looking to keep unpredictable factors to a minimum as they launched their coup? Not that it mattered much right then.</p>
<p>"Okay, don't panic," she said aloud. "You've been in far worse situations, and still come out on top. Think, think, think. You've got the sonic, you can find the TARDIS. Maybe she and Serene are together? Certainly be easier for me if they are. Okay… time to start hacking properly."</p>
<p>The Doctor headed for the nearest access point, the ones designed for visitors to use to navigate their way around the station. No longer feeling the need for stealth, she yanked the cover off, bypassing the touchscreen altogether and going straight into the internal workings.</p>
<p>"There must be internal scanners, something that keeps tabs on everything… yep, that's a start. All I need is to import the right parameters…"</p>
<p>She got it to search for the TARDIS - pretty safe to assume there wouldn't be much else soaked in artron energy here, as the Zinariyans didn't have time travel - and found a trail, but it wasn't good news. Her ship had been moved off the station, hours ago by the look of it, and it was likely Serene was the same.</p>
<p>"So the question is, do I go running after her straight away or try and sabotage as much as I can up here first? Why am I saying that out loud?"</p>
<p>She needed a plan, and there was a strong chance they were watching her, could well swoop in any minute, but she had no choice. What she'd started to put into motion had to be continued, so she went back to Dr Tilin.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>The other woman listened, wide-eyed, as the Doctor updated her.</p>
<p>"What do you think their first move's likely to be?"</p>
<p>"Not sure. How close was your project to completion?"</p>
<p>"Mass drone production's been going on a while," Tilin replied. "Both up here and down on the planet. The main software was already done but they haven't given me all the commands to programme in. I've managed to build a killswitch, so if they're activated and what I've done isn't enough, they can still be stopped."</p>
<p>"Brilliant. I think I can do the same with the nanites; if I can find a way to shut them down large scale, then the subliminal broadcast won't be enough, and that gives us a chance. At least then the architects'll have to win people over the hard way, and that should slow everything down, if not stop it all together. Or is there real support for another civil war?"</p>
<p>Tilin shrugged.</p>
<p>"I've no idea. It wasn't just the nanites that stopped me being interested in politics. I'm starting to wish I'd taken a job elsewhere, though."</p>
<p>"It might not be too late to leave?" the Doctor suggested, but Tilin shook her head, vehemently.</p>
<p>"No. Uh-uh. I need to undo all the damage I've done, or potentially done. Drugs and nanites or not, I designed and built these drones. Besides, I've got friends here, and I couldn't just run off and leave them."</p>
<p>The Doctor smiled at her new friend.</p>
<p>"Glad to hear it."</p>
<p>Tilin went back to work while the Doctor did a little more hacking.</p>
<p>There were scheduled transports heading down to Taer Prime; she should be able to sneak onto one, unless they were watching her. Maybe they thought leaving her behind was enough to stop her interfering? But she needed to get down to the planet; if the architects were going to make their move, she needed to be there to stop it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before she could get any further, there was a strange noise, not quite an alarm but hard to ignore, and all the monitors lit up with an incoming transmission.</p>
<p>"What's that?"</p>
<p>"They do announcements sometimes. You know, drills, if there's any faults that mean we should avoid certain parts of the station," Tilin replied, but as the screen changed, so did everything.</p>
<p>She couldn't remember their name, but the Doctor remembered the face of the man on the screen - one of the architects. He was wearing the blue uniform, and the smug expression she wanted to slap from his face, and that wasn't any additional chemicals making her feel that way. Pacifist, yes (well, ideally a pacifist. Not always in reality, if she was being honest). Tolerant of this sort of nonsense, no.</p>
<p>"Citizens of the Zinariyan Alliance! Your attention please, on this most momentous of days!"</p>
<p>Tilin looked up in annoyance.</p>
<p>"Who's this fool?"</p>
<p>"Bad news," the Doctor replied. "I think we just ran out of time."</p>
<p>The speech was long and meandering, and the Doctor wondered if it was having a different effect on those still infected with active nanites. Some sort of trigger phrase perhaps? She should have worked faster. She knew how to shut them off, but how to do it on a planetary scale, especially without the TARDIS?</p>
<p>But now the man on the screen - Arran, that was his name - was getting to the point, and pictures of other Zinariyans appeared alongside his face.</p>
<p>"These were your leaders, but alas no more," he said, in the manner of an over-dramatic actor on stage. "Everything you're about to see happened just moments ago, enacting phase one."</p>
<p>A series of short films followed, as one by one, each of the people depicted was shown being arrested, imprisoned, held under armed guard.</p>
<p>Arran reappeared, no less smug.</p>
<p>"But you need not fear, citizens. These people were unworthy to rule. Since the uprising ended the rule of the Regnants, none of those who wielded power have been truly worthy, but-"</p>
<p>And he smiled, the smile of the true believer, a zealot even.</p>
<p>"Give praise to your deity! The Bloodline is not ended, and it never was. We have found one who is worthy!"</p>
<p>The screen changed. At first, the figure was in silhouette, flanked by attendants who held out the train of their robe and placed a kind of tiara on their head. Even in shadow, the Doctor recognised Serene.</p>
<p>"We, the Architects of Revolution, have discovered the last survivor of the Regnant bloodline. Rescued from the massacre perpetrated by the formation of the Alliance, raised in secret, and now we are ready to reveal her to you."</p>
<p><em>'No, no, no! Too soon, I'm not ready,'</em>  the Doctor thought, panicky. <em>'Don't show her to them yet!'</em></p>
<p>The light on screen changed, and there she was.</p>
<p>"We present to you the one true ruler of the Zinariyan people, her Highness, Regnant Serene."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serene's bearing was suitably regal, meaning their manipulation of her hadn't just been for their own benefit; they'd always had this in mind. They must have made this when she was learning speeches, so they had something to introduce before she was presented in person. They'd moved so much faster than the Doctor had expected, and it was going to be that much harder to rescue her now.</p>
<p>Then Arran was back on the screen.</p>
<p>"There will, of course, be a period of adjustment as the Alliance comes to an end, now we have declared martial law. You will all receive guidance during this difficult time, and you will be offered a choice as to how we proceed as Zinariyans. Each of you will receive a ballot, and alongside it, our plan for the future of us all. Read it carefully before casting your vote, and remember, it will be a secret ballot, totally anonymous, so vote with your hearts and your minds for all of our futures."</p>
<p>There was more, but the Doctor stopped listening.</p>
<p>"This must be where the nanites come in. They'll influence the vote to get what they want, and anyone who's resistant will out themselves if they vote against the architects. If I try and break their hold now, lots of people could get hurt, killed, but if I don't, then this movement will always be able to claim legitimacy. Ooh, they really did put thought into this! And I've been so slow! I never thought they'd move this fast. They've only had Serene, what, two days?"</p>
<p>Tilin was distracted. On her personal computer, she was receiving more detailed instructions, not the ballot but the final programming instructions for her drones.</p>
<p>"Doctor. You need to see this."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Together, they worked as fast as they could to subvert the commands Tilin had been given, but there was only going to be so much time before the Architects took their next step. The security staff on the station weren't strictly military, but they were armed, and they began to round up people who could cause problems before the vote could even happen. And of course, that included the Doctor.</p>
<p>As soon as armed guards, Harvellon the architect at their head, marched into her lab, Tilin grabbed a laser probe and fired it over the head of the lead guard. Caught by surprise - they'd anticipated trouble from the Doctor, not Tilin - he ducked, and Tilin activated the drones on the desk in front of her, which began to hover and emit a lot of smoke, firing more lasers.</p>
<p>"We need the engineer!" Harvellon yelled. "The other one is more use alive, but she's unimportant."</p>
<p>"Unimportant?" the Doctor began, indignant, but Tilin grabbed her, guiding her out the side door as the guards shot back at the drones, struggling to see their targets through the smoke.</p>
<p>Outside, the two women ran, one of Tilin's drones hovering after them, sending back covering fire at their pursuers.</p>
<p>"We need to get off this station!" the Doctor shouted. "Get down to Taer Prime."</p>
<p>"There're shuttles, but they'll be guarded," Tilin shouted back. "Best bet is the lifeboats, emergency evacuation."</p>
<p>They ran through what had become a strangely quiet station; presumably the architect's announcement had shut down most daily activity. Tilin steered them both through a "mechanics only" door that opened for her ID, giving them a moment's protection as those chasing them had to override the security to follow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two women ran through access corridors toward the evacuation bays, but as they entered the bay, they could see armed guards between them and the shuttles, clearly having anticipated this. These guards didn't hesitate, opening fire on the two women immediately, who ducked for cover. The drone, programmed by Tilin to protect her, returned fire.</p>
<p>"They're not messing about, are they?" the Doctor asked, rhetorically, as they crawled along, keeping the closest shuttle between them and the guards. The only door in to the shuttle, however, was on the far side, and there was no way to get in without getting shot. The Doctor thought fast.</p>
<p>"Where do they take shuttles for maintenance? Is it close? They might not be guarding those."</p>
<p>Tilin, who was remaining remarkably clear-headed under literal fire, indicated another door to the side.</p>
<p>They both grabbed the first things that came to hand from the shelving units on the wall, hurled them in opposite directions to draw fire, and then ran as fast as they could.</p>
<p>The Doctor already had her sonic out to unlock the door, then lock it behind them while Tilin opened up the shuttle, the drone doing its best to keep the guards away. It wouldn't last long, but Tilin was already uncoupling the diagnostic equipment, so the Doctor got on board and began the startup sequence.</p>
<p>"The fault's in the shielding!" she called out to Tilin. "They fixed it, but the panel needs sealing before we can take off!"</p>
<p>"On it!" Tilin hurriedly sorted through scattered equipment, grabbing what she needed and locating the correct panel. Through the door, they could hear an explosion as the drone was finally defeated. The Doctor, having got the shuttle active, began bypassing the security protocols to get the bay door open and get through the protective force field surrounding the station.</p>
<p>"How we doing?" she asked the engineer, who was wielding a welding torch in a rather cavalier style.</p>
<p>"Nearly there…"</p>
<p>But they were running out of time. As Tilin finished, throwing down her tools, the guards burst in, and before she could get to safety, they shot her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Falling, Tilin hit the control to close the shuttle, protecting the Doctor from incoming fire. Horrified, the Doctor watched her new friend collapse to the ground, already dead. But the guards were still coming, shooting at her and she had no idea how good the hastily repaired shielding was.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry!" she cried out, and she took off, heading to Taer Prime to save another friend, and try to stop a war.</p>
<p>The station defences took a few shots at her, but the Doctor had several lifetimes of avoiding being shot at, and piloted her way through them easily. There were other, larger ships approaching the planet, and she piggybacked onto one of them to get past planetary defences.</p>
<p>There was no doubt absolute chaos on most of the planet, if the architects had indeed co-ordinated their attack on leaders across every continent simultaneously. The shuttle didn't have scanners that could locate artron energy, so she snuck on board the ship she'd used as cover to get in on and used their scanners. She should have been conspicuous, but everyone was so wrapped up in what they were doing, she went unnoticed.</p>
<p>'And where the TARDIS is, that's probably where Serene is too, more or less' the Doctor thought.</p>
<p>'It won't be so easy to just walk in there. Unless…'</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Doctor was right. Serene's location was very secure, and the TARDIS had been locked up too, with a handful of eager scientist trying their very best to crack the ship open, though they had no idea what she was. Fortunately, everyone had failed to connect the mysterious object with the Doctor, not just underestimating the alien 'handmaiden' but outright dismissing her as unimportant.</p>
<p>Not that Serene knew any of this, as they'd reverted to drugging her when they realised the nanites were no longer making her malleable, allowing them to manipulate her. She'd tried to keep up the pretence, but it was difficult to know the right way to behave. Arrogance didn't come naturally, and she'd blanched a bit too obviously at some of their comments about the upcoming putsch.</p>
<p>Everything she heard seemed to make it sound worse. The borders would close, expelling all off-worlders permanently, and no Zinariyan would be allowed to leave without permission. Trade would be tightly controlled, as would any movement between planets in the erstwhile Alliance. Those who weren't from Taer Prime would have to prove their usefulness to avoid being shipped back to Sito, Kenna, and the moon colonies, which would revert to how they were before - subsidiary colonies that existed to serve, not semi-independent, equal members of an Alliance. They also kept using the word 'empire', which made Serene shudder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Waking up to discover she'd been moved planetside - and without the Doctor - brought a wave of fresh panic, and Serene had to fight to keep control of herself. The only thing that kept her going was the thought that, having done it once, the Doctor would find and rescue her again. The architects and their supporters wouldn't let her out of the room she was in, and once she realised there was no point in pretending anymore, she tried to escape any way she could.</p>
<p>At which point, her captors stopped pretending as well, and she was kept restrained at all times. There had been anger that they would have to control her in other ways, and she surprised herself by finding that goading them and refusing to co-operate brought a certain petty enjoyment, no matter how uncomfortable she got.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, they continued with their ridiculous plan, which now involved Rydan and Furej bringing her pictures of potential royal consorts. The two of them had survived the civil war by disguising their loyalties, and their disappointment in Serene, once she had reappeared, was all too clear.</p>
<p>Despite this, and the otherwise serious nature of her situation, their suggestion that Serene choose a spouse from the list made her absolutely howl with laughter.</p>
<p>"They may not be of the bloodline pure, but they are all suitable," Furej insisted, as Serene laughed until her sides hurt.</p>
<p>He'd told her his role, alongside speech-writing, was that of record keeper, not just the history of the Regnants and how tradition would be restored, but also that of genetic records. Her family may have been wiped out, but some of the extremely distant relatives had survived, mostly due to never having been seriously considered part of the Regnant line when the uprising came.</p>
<p>"I'm not marrying a stranger because of their genes!" Serene threw back. "Any more archaic customs you want to revive? Perhaps I should go through a public trial by ordeal to prove my worthiness to rule?"</p>
<p>Furej seemed pleased that she at least knew of the oldest, if long abandoned, rituals of the Regnants but Rydan had less patience with Serene's contempt for their plans.</p>
<p>"Then we'll choose for you," was Rydan's indifferent reply. "It's not as if it really matters. All offspring will be lab-created, to ensure the correct traits are inherited."</p>
<p>"Offspring?"</p>
<p>"Yes. The Bloodline must continue; such things cannot be left to chance. We will begin harvesting from you this afternoon."</p>
<p>All thought of laughter died.</p>
<p>"Harvesting? What - what do you mean?"</p>
<p>"We already have your blood, your DNA. We could create clones, if necessary, but we would prefer children born from you, one way or another."</p>
<p>Serene stared at Rydan in growing horror.</p>
<p>"And what does that mean?"</p>
<p>The woman shrugged, tapping away on her device, dismissive.</p>
<p>"We take your ova, fertilise them and either implant them back into you, or suitable surrogates. The result is the same; children of the Bloodline so that it will continue. We will use as many fathers as we can, not just your consort, to ensure a wider gene pool."</p>
<p>"I've managed to gain access to some of the stored DNA from those who came before you," Furej added, sounding rather pleased with himself. "We should be able to use that to create children of lesser royalty too, an extended family."</p>
<p>Serene barely heard Furej, the realities of Rydan's threat sinking in.</p>
<p>"You can't!"</p>
<p>Serene began to struggle against her bonds again, determination to escape flooding back in.</p>
<p>"You can't just take my - my-"</p>
<p>"Nothing belongs to you." Rydan's tone was cold as ice. "You belong to us, and everything you are, we will use."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serene stopped dead still, eyes wide, close to hyperventilating in panic.</p>
<p>She'd known they wanted to use her, but so far there'd been so much talk about her supposed importance, how she would rule them all, she'd thought them idiotic. Capable of starting war, yes, but she'd thought she could escape them, leave them to their plotting and be free of all this. Now she saw, completely clearly, that that would never be. They wouldn't let her go, wouldn't give her up.</p>
<p>They'd tracked her across the galaxy, twenty years after losing her, because she could give their revolution legitimacy. Yes, they could make do with clones from her DNA, and once enough children were born, they wouldn't need her anymore, but a long lost Regnant, restored to the throne? That was a story people might get behind, if they wanted change. Some might ignore everything else about the revolution, if they genuinely believed the Alliance would be better if it was back under the rule of the family that had lead them for millennia.</p>
<p>And that would explain Rydan's anger; after everything she must have gone through, in the civil war and in the creation of this plan, they finally had the vital piece - Serene - only for her to want nothing to do with their plan. But had they really expected she'd be pleased, like a little girl realising a princess dress-up fantasy?</p>
<p>Serene forced herself to slow her breathing, trying to calm. She had to escape, if she was going to survive.</p>
<p>"I see you understand now," Rydan said, taking a certain vicious satisfaction in Serene's reactions.</p>
<p>"It's for the best if you stop resisting. Should you prove too troublesome, we may have to remove you sooner than planned, create a genetic heir to replace you, who will be raised to be more… compliant. We'll get what we want from you, one way or another. If you co-operate, things will be better. More comfortable. Pleasant, even."</p>
<p>She held out the device again, showing the pictures of 'suitable' men.</p>
<p>"The wedding itself won't take place until after we've established our rule," Furej spoke up, as if nothing had happened. "But if any of them appeal to you, you should decide now, so we can begin making arrangements. Not just restoration of the bloodline, but a royal couple too. That will please the public."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled, genuinely happy at the thought of bringing the Alliance back to how he remembered it being before the civil war, untroubled by changing so many lives to get what he thought was best.</p>
<p>"I've not met any of them, but I've been told they're acceptable spouses. They all know the importance of the role they'll be asked to play. And if men aren't your preference, you won't have to spend that much time with them, other than in public."</p>
<p>His tone was perfectly normal, as if they were discussing what dress Serene should wear.</p>
<p>"Do they know they're likely to be killed, when the Zinariyan people decide they've had enough of being ruled by a Regnant again?" Serene asked, desperate to make them realise how terrible their plan was. "Even if they accept us, it's only been twenty years since the last lot were slaughtered!"</p>
<p>"We've taken that into account," Rydan replied, unworried. "It will be managed. People will be monitored, closely. Such plots will never be allowed to develop."</p>
<p>Serene had thought nothing more could horrify her, but it all just kept coming, worse and worse.</p>
<p>"So… a dictatorship."</p>
<p>"Words can invoke such an emotional response, can't they?" Rydan smiled coldly, and Serene realised that despite Rydan's loyalty to the ways of the past, to bloodlines and tradition, what this woman really wanted was control, pure and simple. Something she had no doubt failed to get under a democratic Alliance, and it suited her to use the restoration of Regnant rule to get it.</p>
<p>"We prefer a restoration of a more reliable system of government," Furej said. He may have really believed in the restoration of the bloodline, but his words betrayed a belief similar to Rydan's.</p>
<p>"The Regnant rule worked for thousands of years, whereas this Alliance has been tenuous at best, relying on the cooperation of billions of people, from all kinds of backgrounds."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to argue this with you," Serene stated, flatly. "If you think murdering huge numbers of people and setting up an oppressive regime is a good thing, I'd only be wasting my breath."</p>
<p>"And we will succeed," Rydan replied, not at all insulted by or caring about Serene's open disapproval. "I assure you, this plan has been carefully crafted over the years of your exile."</p>
<p>"Exile?" Serene nearly choked on the word. "You really do know nothing about me."</p>
<p>"I know that you care about your friend. That alien woman who came here looking for you?"</p>
<p>Serene tried very hard not to change her expression, to give anything away.</p>
<p>"She's still on the station, by the way," Rydan continued. "We thought it best to keep her out of the way, until things are settled, but should you carry on being troublesome, we will hurt her, kill her if necessary. Should you need further reason to cooperate."</p>
<p>Serene chose to resort to silence. It didn't sound like they knew who the Doctor was, so there was every chance rescue was still coming. But it couldn't come quickly enough. Two people in scrubs entered the room with a wheeled stretcher, followed by Theri, also dressed ready for surgery.</p>
<p>Serene resumed struggling, fighting as hard as she could but Theri calmly administered an anaesthetic, rendering her resistance useless.</p>
<p>"We will resume this conversation after the operation," Rydan continued, almost casually, as Serene was untied, lifted onto the gurney and strapped down. Then the drugs took over, and Serene passed out.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>When Serene came around, she was back in the prep room. Through the haze of the anaesthesia wearing off, she could hear a voice making an announcement on the screen in the corner, something about voting…</p>
<p>She tried to sit up, but pain knifed through her. She wasn't fully restrained this time, only one handcuff securing her to the hospital-style bed but her midriff burned and the stitches pulled her skin when she moved. Gingerly, Serene pulled aside the material of her surgical top and pressed the fingertips of her free hand to the pad over the wound, discovering the incision slashed right across her lower abdomen - what had they done? Rydan had said they were harvesting her ova, but this felt far more invasive than she'd expected. Not that she knew much about surgery, or had had much time to think about that before.</p>
<p>There was an nursing attendant in the corner, who looked over disinterestedly when they saw she was awake, then went back to watching the screen. On it, a group of people in the blue uniform of the Architects were talking in a very self-important way about how wonderful it was that the Zinariyan people had all come together to have their say in the future, and how it looked like there was a clear result coming through from the vote, in support of the new regime.</p>
<p>Serene remembered what she'd heard them discussing before and wondered if any people had resisted the nanite control. If so, they'd probably end up dead for voting against the Architects, and they undoubtedly would have voted against them, what with the removal of the previous leaders and armed militia patrolling the streets, unless they doubted the validity of it being anonymous. And Serene knew that it wasn't.</p>
<p>She listened to the voices from the screen. Glory to the new Empire, blah, blah, blah. They weren't even trying for subtlety.</p>
<p>"But now," one of the men said, and she realised it was Arran, the patronising man from when she'd first been brought to the Alliance.</p>
<p>"Here's something to prove how committed we are to this new future. There will be no going back."</p>
<p>The screen went from a studio to a live feed - the previous leaders of the Alliance from Taer Prime, now all flanked by armed guards. One by one, the screen showed them being taken from their holding cells, and executed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were shot, a firing squad killing them instantly, and Serene gasped in horror, flinching at each murder as it became clear just how bloody a revolution this was going to be. The nursing attendant seemed to be pleased by what was happening across their planet, muttering to themselves something about 'good riddance', and 'they never spoke for me.'</p>
<p><em>'These are my people',</em> Serene thought, desperately.<em> 'What can I do to stop this? If I speak out, somehow, they'll kill me too.'</em></p>
<p>The door opened and a uniformed guard came in, face hidden behind a helmet with a tinted visor and summoned the nursing attendant away, closing the door behind them and standing against it.</p>
<p>Serene, transfixed by what she's just witnessed on the screen, paid little heed to them, until there was a familiar whirring sound, and the screen went off.</p>
<p>Serene's attention snapped to the guard, her emotions spinning.</p>
<p>"Doctor?"</p>
<p>Still holding the sonic in one hand, the figure flipped up the visor to reveal the Doctor's grinning face.</p>
<p>"I know, I'm a bit short for a stormtrooper, or whatever. But yeah, Princess, it's me. I'm here to rescue you!"</p>
<p>She hurried to Serene's side, freeing her from the handcuffs.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"I-"</p>
<p>Serene, completely overwhelmed, didn't know where to start.</p>
<p>"Doctor, they just executed all the Alliance leaders!"</p>
<p>The Doctor's smile faded.</p>
<p>"Oh. Then we need to get a shift on. Come on, I figured out where they're keeping the TARDIS."</p>
<p>She picked up the clothing and shoes laid out beside the bed - a plain top and trousers this time, rather than fancy royal apparel - and handed them to Serene as she carefully got down from the bed.</p>
<p>"Can you walk?"</p>
<p>"I think so. It hurts, but-"</p>
<p>The Doctor put her hand over the dressings, her expression darkening.</p>
<p>"What did they do?"</p>
<p>But Serene just shook her head, her expression showing how close she was to breaking down again. Trying her best to be stoic, she began to dress, while the Doctor hunted through the kit left behind by the nurse.</p>
<p>"Painkillers… that'll do. It might not be as easy as all that to get to the TARDIS, so this probably isn't going to be very nice. But I will get you out of here, get you safe."</p>
<p>The Doctor gave her the painkiller, helped her finish dressing then, picking up the handcuffs, pulled the helmet visor back down.</p>
<p>"Okay. Let's do this."</p>
<p>She hit the fire alarm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the other guards came into the room, the Doctor pantomimed cuffing Serene, not locking them, then escorted her out. But before the other guards could make it through the door, the Doctor slammed it shut, using the sonic to lock them in, and the two women ran. The painkiller let Serene ignore the tugging on her stitches enough to keep up as the Doctor led them down a flight of stairs and towards the exit.</p>
<p>People were pouring out of the building in response to the fire alarm and as Serene took off the handcuffs, the Doctor pulled her coat from the bag on her back and threw it over her friend, disguising her enough that she wouldn't immediately be spotted as they got caught up in the crowd.</p>
<p>As the rest of the people evacuating paused on the grassy space between buildings, wondering if this was a real emergency - and with all that was going on across the planet, that was a fair question - the Doctor guided Serene away, following the trail of artron energy across the complex.</p>
<p>"I found you the same way," the Doctor murmured, one arm around her friend.</p>
<p>The building the TARDIS was in was a few streets away, and they made it there easily enough. However, the scientists drawn to the ship by her uniqueness had been giving no mind to the news or the political situation, fascinated by the challenge before them. They didn't know what the TARDIS was, but any scientist worth their salt would pick up on the readings she gave off, and the fact they couldn't so much as open the doors only made them more determined.</p>
<p>These people, the Doctor realised as she approached, were not so likely to leave when a fire alarm went off, probably wouldn't at gunpoint, so her guard disguise wouldn't work either. She had to create a greater distraction. At least there weren't any actual guards; they presumably had other problems to deal with right then.</p>
<p>"How're you holding up?" she asked Serene, propping her against the wall outside the lab the TARDIS was in.</p>
<p>The Doctor flipped up the face part of the helmet. Serene was pale but determined.</p>
<p>"I'm okay. What's the plan?"</p>
<p>"Sort of a work in progress right now. Trust me?"</p>
<p>"Always."</p>
<p>"Thank you. This is gonna be a bit weird, but just relax. Remember how we got out of the Möbius trap, in the Isenal ruins?"</p>
<p>The Doctor made an adjustment to Serene's memory implant with the sonic, then pressed her fingertips to Serene's temples, closing her eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em>'There…'</em>
</p>
<p>Once again, she found the physical connection between the implant and the TARDIS, backed up by the telepathic connection between the ship and the two women, and the TARDIS was no happier about it than she had been the last time.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Sorry, mate. But I need a bit of help here, and there're already too many people getting hurt.'</em>
</p>
<p>Reluctantly, the ship allowed the Doctor to access the programme she was after, and put together a series of commands, then the Doctor let go, breaking the connection. The TARDIS would do the rest.</p>
<p>"We should probably get out the way. Might be a bit of a commotion in a minute."</p>
<p>She helped Serene around the corner, ducking into the doorway of the next lab along as the yelling began.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>At first, the scientists were thrilled when the doors to the inexplicable object opened, seemingly by themselves. Who didn't love a mystery? Especially now they might get to solve it. But very quickly, this turned into terror and panic, as the shape slunk out of the doors.</p>
<p>It was black in colour - no, that wasn't right. It was more like a shadow, so dark it was as if it sucked light into it, a void that moved so fluidly it flowed, moving closer to the watching scientists.</p>
<p>"What is <em>that?"</em>  one shouted, eyes fixed on the impossible shape of the Scyava. It moved into an upright humanoid shape, a face forming but it was not a reassuring one. Teeth glinted as the mouth moved into a terrible smile.</p>
<p>"Whatever it is, we don't get paid enough to deal with it!" another replied, already backing away. The thing sprang forward, and the scientists fled.</p>
<p>The Doctor and Serene remained in the shelter of the next doorway, out of the way, as the scientists came pelting out of the lab, running as if pursued by the hordes of hell. Which, to be fair, they thought they were.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the way was clear, the two women went into the lab, where there was no sign of what had made the scientist run.</p>
<p>Serene was confused.</p>
<p>"What did you do?"</p>
<p>The Doctor helped her through the now open doors of the TARDIS.</p>
<p>"I got the TARDIS to project a hologram of the Scyava, to get them out of the way."</p>
<p>A thought occurred to her.</p>
<p>"At least, I hope it was a hologram, not one of the real Scyava… Nah, that's still trapped in the Möbius loop, somewhere in the lower levels of the ship. Hopefully."</p>
<p>She shut the TARDIS doors behind them firmly, helped Serene sit on the steps by the console then, with some relief, took off the guard's helmet and began dematerialisation.</p>
<p>"Wait, we can't leave yet!" Serene said, her tone panicked. "The whole planet's about to fall into war, all over again."</p>
<p>"I know, I'm just taking us into orbit for now. We're not done, but I couldn't leave you there any longer."</p>
<p>The Doctor's gaze flicked to where Serene was holding her hand over her surgical wound.</p>
<p>"I should've come for you quicker. Or realised what they were gonna do, back on the station. I was so busy trying to figure out their plans and how to stop them… I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>Serene didn't answer.</p>
<p>"What happened?"</p>
<p>"They…"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Serene felt she was walking a tightrope between despair and utter fury, both pulling at her but neither yet winning over the other. She realised she was trembling and breathed out deep.</p>
<p>"We have to go back. They took something from me, and I can't let them keep it, use it. I can't. They…"</p>
<p>"Hey, hey."</p>
<p>The Doctor stepped away from the console to sit by Serene.</p>
<p>"We'll fix it."</p>
<p>Serene grabbed the Doctor's hand, grounding herself.</p>
<p><em>'You're safe,'</em>  she told herself.<em> 'You're in the TARDIS, and safe. The Doctor will help you.'</em></p>
<p>"Do you want to tell me?"</p>
<p>"They -" Serene's breath hitched again, and she took a slow inhale and exhale to control herself enough to speak.</p>
<p>"They want to make sure the bloodline continues, that I'd have children, heirs. So they… they took-"</p>
<p>Rage won and she cried out wordlessly.</p>
<p>"I don't even know what they did. But she said they'd harvest- they'd create embryos from my DNA and either implant them in me, or use a surrogate. I can't let them do that, it's not fair, they can't force children, my children, to be their puppets, we have to stop them-"</p>
<p>The Doctor squeezed her hand, trying to keep a lid on her own anger.</p>
<p>"It's okay. Let's get you sorted, then we'll stop this whole thing. I promise you."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Usual disclaimer: anything you recognise isn't mine.</p>
<p>References to the Scyava, Möbius trap and the Isenal city are from my story "A Future in Ruins". A reworked version can be found as "Möbius" featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna, if you want to read that. :)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Doctor didn't often use the medical room in the TARDIS. Couldn't usually find it when it was something minor; maybe the TARDIS hid it in retaliation for all those times she'd regenerated in the console room, wrecking the place.</p>
<p>There were a few bits and pieces of equipment in other rooms that usually sufficed, but the main room was better set up. Along with a useful supply of painkillers and antibiotics, the Doctor found a medical laser to seal the surgical incision on Serene's abdomen closed, no need for stitching, hopefully wouldn't even scar. When that was done, the diagnostics scanned Serene.</p>
<p>"Well, everything's still there," the Doctor said, awkwardly, trying to be positive, no idea how best to react. "No organs missing. I guess they extracted what they needed for in-vitro fertilisation, but you can't extract and implant at the same time, so anything they took will be in storage right now."</p>
<p>"Then let's go get it back."</p>
<p>Serene's expression was stony, her tone flat, no longer battling between fury and despair.</p>
<p>"We will. But there's more to do, and I want you to stay here where it's safe."</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>Serene was absolutely resolute.</p>
<p>"These are my people, Doctor. I spent my life wondering who I am, where I come from and I do <em>not</em> like what I found."</p>
<p>For a moment, they stared at each other in tense silence.</p>
<p>"How much do you know about what's going on out there?" the Doctor asked.</p>
<p>She started to remove the guard uniform, glad to be rid of it. The clothes she had on underneath, raided from a storage unit to replace the attendant's garb before rescuing Serene, were boring and plain, but there'd be time to choose a new outfit when this was over.</p>
<p>"Enough," Serene replied. "Now they won the 'vote', they're going to start rounding up any dissenters."</p>
<p>"Yep. I might be able to use the TARDIS to hack the subliminal broadcast; there's a global network that's transmitting the signal. If I can isolate the frequency, we could block it, or intercept it, change what it says. I don't like the idea of mind control, but it could save lives."</p>
<p>Serene bit her lip.</p>
<p>"That's the temptation, isn't it? Power over people, changing the way they think so you get the result you want. But there's a difference between stopping a minority getting what they think they want, and trying to force a new regime on people. So I say we block it, do whatever you did to me, try to destroy the nanites. Because if I start being okay with mind control, I might as well stay here and be Regnant."</p>
<p>"Glad to hear you say that."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor picked up her coat from where Serene had discarded it, and put it back on.</p>
<p>"The architects have released the nanites into the water supply here, so it's too late to stop them spreading, but I can break them down, and if I can stop the mind control signal, that should stop the architects from taking over completely."</p>
<p>"You've been busy."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Thought I'd make the most of everyone being distracted, so I had a good poke about, and it helped that no-one knew who I was."</p>
<p>The Doctor nodded at the discarded uniform. And then as she put the sonic back into her coat pocket, she found she'd been given a gift.</p>
<p>At first, she couldn't figure out what it was; a small remote control, hastily constructed, by the look of it. And then she realised.</p>
<p>"Oh, Tilin. Thank you."</p>
<p>"What is that?" Serene asked.</p>
<p>"It's the killswitch for the drones, or at least the means of throwing that switch, should events get that far. I met the engineer who designed them, and she helped me get off the station."</p>
<p>The Doctor's tone was soft, regretful and Serene guessed what had happened.</p>
<p>"I don't know how many drones've been built," the Doctor continued. "It probably won't be that hard for the architects to find someone else to implement the programming. So, I'll keep this on hand, in case things get that far. But I picked up that their main focus for now is just this planet, Taer Prime. They had sleeper cells embedded here, but they're planning a more conquest-y approach for Sito and Kenna and the other colonies. That's almost a good thing, gives us more time to intervene."</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, everything slotted into place and the Doctor's face lit up.</p>
<p>"Ohhh! That's it! That's how we do it! Tilin, you saved the world!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She went to dash out of the room, but was surprised to see that, instead of following, Serene picked up the discarded uniform and began to put it on.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?"</p>
<p>Her friend had a determined look on her face.</p>
<p>"I need this for when we go back out, on Taer Prime. It worked for you. If no-one even noticed that you're an off-worlder, then no-one will recognise me."</p>
<p>"That doesn't mean you'll be safe. If they see your face, they'll capture you again, and it won't be so easy to get you out-"</p>
<p>"I don't care. We have to stop them. So tell me, what do we do?"</p>
<p>The Doctor's brain, already fizzing with ideas, brought up one from many years before, a potential way to ensure Serene could never be used for her genetic heritage by these architects again…</p>
<p>
  <em>'No, you can't ask that of her. She's been hurt enough already.'</em>
</p>
<p>She dismissed it, and resumed hurrying back to the TARDIS console, where she opened up a physical interface and dropped the killswitch into it, linking it to the TARDIS.</p>
<p>"Tilin designed the drones to all work together, so we just need to tap into whatever's connecting them and then we can use them to shut the nanites down. She said they've been mass-produced and distributed already, so we know they must be in place across the planet as well as back on the station. I've also connected to the news broadcasts to see what's going on, set up some alerts to let us know if it all kicks off. Think it's mostly just reactions to the executions right now, they're still trying to spin it as retaliation for all the people who died in the previous uprising."</p>
<p>Serene frowned.</p>
<p>"Well, now's the best time to break the control, if we can. Then it might be easier to tell who genuinely wants a revolution and who's under mind control."</p>
<p>"Working on it. Might be able to do kill two birds with one stone if I can get the drones to jam the subliminal signal too."</p>
<p>"Is that possible?"</p>
<p>"I'll let you know."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor focused on her work, trying not to look at her friend, dressed in the black jumpsuit of the Zinariyan guards. Putting it on herself hadn't been fun, but sometimes you needed a disguise. Didn't make it any easier to look at her friend wearing it, ready to leap into a war among her own kind, her newly discovered people. She might not have been the one who brought Serene here, but she felt responsible for her.</p>
<p>She'd met a sheltered, kind young woman, safe in a quiet organisation. If she'd left Serene there, yes she'd have been bored, but she wouldn't have been repeatedly abducted, imprisoned, tortured, shot at, and no one would have operated on her against her will. Serene may have wanted to travel, and the Doctor herself had missed having a friend to travel with, but was this cost too high? And why was it always her friends who paid that price?</p>
<p>She shook herself.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Not now. Get the job done first. You can still fix this.'</em>
</p>
<p>The Doctor made some more adjustments.</p>
<p>"There's a lot of interference, lot of signals in the air already. I'll take us in a bit closer."</p>
<p>But then, as if there weren't enough distractions already, a projection appeared from the console. It was another transmission on the planet below, activated by the search the Doctor had set up. The same smug man in uniform, and Serene visibly flinched at his appearance.</p>
<p>"Him again," the Doctor said.</p>
<p>Serene nodded, face grim.</p>
<p>"Arran. Calls himself an Architect of Revolution. I don't think they know how ludicrous that sounds. The whole thing is vile."</p>
<p>"He's been on a few of these," the Doctor noted. "Thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?"</p>
<p>"He was also the one to introduce the executions."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Citizens of our new Empire!" Arran announced. "Now we have freed you from the inefficient rule of the Alliance, it is time for you to meet your new ruler."</p>
<p>Serene turned pale, clutching at the console as her own face appeared on the projection. Painted with gaudy cosmetics, her long dark hair elaborately coiled on her head, and dressed in ceremonial robes, she didn't look much like herself, nor did the superior, aloof expression on her face.</p>
<p>"My people -" the recorded Serene began, but the real life version hit the button beneath the projection, shutting it off.</p>
<p>"Why are they doing that? They must know by now that we escaped."</p>
<p>"I think that's the point," the Doctor replied, gently. "They want people to know your face, so you'll be recognised if you go back out there. I think you should stay in the TARDIS."</p>
<p>"And let everyone think that -" Serene gestured at where the projection had been "- is me? Some recorded speech I only made because they were using mind control on me? No, Doctor."</p>
<p>She tucked the uniform helmet under her arm, resolute.</p>
<p>"What was the rest of the speech about?"</p>
<p>Serene exhaled heavily, trying to keep control of herself.</p>
<p>"Just more nonsense about re-establishing the rule, restoring things to how they were, how much better everything will be, blah, blah, blah. I didn't know they were recording me, when we were practising."</p>
<p>"I don't think they were planning on using it, but unfortunately, they've been pretty good at adapting to everything we try and do to stop them," the Doctor said. "And unfortunately, I still can't get the signal through. I'll set us down outside the city-"</p>
<p>"Don't make decisions based on some need to protect me," Serene snapped. "No-one will even see my face. You're the one who's going to stand out, not being Zinariyan."</p>
<p>"Hey!" The Doctor tried not to snap back. "You're right, I'm not. So you're not in charge of me. If you say you don't want to give people orders, try not doing that!"</p>
<p>"Just put us down wherever's best for what we need to do," Serene replied, curt.</p>
<p>"You know, we stand a better chance here if we're not arguing the whole time," the Doctor pointed out.</p>
<p>Serene didn't reply and the Doctor didn't push it. She set the controls and they landed.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>The TARDIS materialised back in the capital city, half hidden behind packing crates in a little alleyway, not far from where Serene had been held. Neither of them had had much of a chance to look around the city, but the moment they stepped out of the doors, the Doctor winced.</p>
<p>"Oof. Bright, isn't it?"</p>
<p>Serene looked up at the sky, not even reacting to the light.</p>
<p>"I hadn't noticed."</p>
<p>"Guess that visor being tinted meant I didn't feel it before," the Doctor said.</p>
<p>"Or that's what the doctor on Ksako meant about my eyes being unusual," Serene replied, tightly. "If the sunlight here isn't like it is anywhere else, then that'd make sense, wouldn't it?"</p>
<p>She pulled the visor part of the helmet down, obscuring her face. The Doctor didn't know what to say. This wasn't the time to discuss the effects different types of suns had on their planets, and therefore the physical divergence that could create among the respective inhabitants.</p>
<p>Nor would it be a good idea to bring up how obvious it was that, despite her physical recovery, Serene wasn't coping as well with having been experimented on as she'd previously made out. The Doctor didn't like to think of that experience either; she'd ensured that the person who hurt her friend was tried and punished for his sadistic medical procedures then. Could she do the same again, now?</p>
<p>"Where are we going?" Serene asked, her tone and stance still tense, not looking at the Doctor.</p>
<p>Internally, the Doctor sighed. </p>
<p>
  <em>'One thing at a time.'</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They went to the end of the alleyway and looked out. It was strangely quiet, only a few armed troops patrolling but they seemed unhurried, as if waiting for orders rather than carrying any out. The Doctor pointed across the open quad at a nondescript building.</p>
<p>"Control signals for the drones are coming from there. I could try hacking it, but it'll work best if we go direct."</p>
<p>She took the handcuffs out of her pocket and handed them to Serene.</p>
<p>"You take these, in case anyone stops us. You can put them on me and say you're escorting me, or something."</p>
<p>"Right."</p>
<p>Serene didn't question the vagueness of that part of the plan; there were larger concerns filing her head. But as they crossed the quad, there was a strange sound, like a million insects all taking flight at the same time. Everyone looked up, trying to locate the source, and saw a swarm of drones streaming out from the roof of the building the Doctor and Serene were heading to.</p>
<p>"Too slow!" The Doctor cried out. "Again! Why am I so slow here?"</p>
<p>She broke into a run, heedless of the troops around. Serene hastened to follow, conscious of the fact she wasn't armed; she'd have to do something about that.</p>
<p>The drones spread out rapidly, following the directions they'd been programmed with across the city, and as Serene looked back over her shoulder, she saw one fly right up to the window of a building and begin firing through it.</p>
<p>"What are they targeting?" she called to the Doctor, who was busily bypassing the security on the main door of the building.</p>
<p>"Can't say for sure, but I'm guessing dissenters. People known to oppose this movement."</p>
<p>"The vote wasn't really anonymous, so they're probably using that."</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She got the door open, and they ran in. The Doctor quickly tracked down the room from which the drones were being sent out, a sort of air-traffic control space, where the feed from their cameras was being fed back onto multiples screens on the wall. The room was buzzing with people, all of them too engrossed in their work to notice at first when the Doctor walked in.</p>
<p>This didn't last long when she plugged in the gizmo she'd put together in the TARDIS, connecting Tilin's killswitch to the ship, and now to the computers in this room.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" one asked, puzzled at the sudden appearance of a non-Zinariyan in civilian clothing. The Doctor didn't even look up, working on connecting everything up, checking that the commands she'd programmed were importing</p>
<p>"Don't mind me."</p>
<p>The operative was about to raise the alarm, but that was when Serene made her entrance. Still in full uniform, face hidden, she marched in, carrying a gun that she'd just taken from an unsuspecting, now unconscious guard in the corridor.</p>
<p>Slamming the door shut, she jumped up on the nearest desk and fired the weapon at one of the computers, not hurting anyone but shattering the screen and getting everyone's attention.</p>
<p>"Everybody stop what you're doing! Hands up, line up against the wall!"</p>
<p>Utter confusion reigned, not in the least with the Doctor, who stared at her friend, the only one in the room to know who she was. What would these people do if they knew who the person threatening them was?</p>
<p>"Come on, move!" Serene yelled at the programmers. "Do you want to get shot?"</p>
<p>She fired another warning shot at the screens, and the Zinariyans hurriedly obeyed.</p>
<p>"Face the wall, hands on heads, and nobody move until I say so!"</p>
<p><em>'Oh, we're gonna have words about this, later,'</em>  the Doctor thought, but said nothing. She couldn't exactly argue that this didn't make her job easier, with Serene keeping everyone off her back. She hadn't really planned this bit too well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It didn't take long for the Doctor to finish, as she'd done the programming bit already, and the commands went out to all the drones, across the planet. What did take time, however was the effect her work had on the Zinariyan people. Shutting down the nanites was the easy part, but blocking the subliminal interference across the whole planet until the chemical influence wore off enough was another.</p>
<p>"Doctor?"</p>
<p>Serene glanced over, keeping the gun trained on the technicians.</p>
<p>"It's working, but it needs time."</p>
<p>They could both see on the screens that despite Tilin's new programming, some of the drones were still carrying out their newer instructions, namely attacking people deemed a threat to the new regime. Some of the population were attacked in their homes, killed outright, whereas others were herded outside, marched into the street and lined up before the drones executed them. The workers in the room couldn't see what was going on, but they could hear it, and as the nanites within them deactivated, they started to realise with a shock what was happening.</p>
<p>"Doctor!" Serene cried, voice shaking with outrage. "You need to shut them down; they're killing people!"</p>
<p>The Doctor was no less horrified, but she didn't move.</p>
<p>"I can't, not yet. If I use the killswitch too soon, this whole thing'll fall apart."</p>
<p>"How long?" Serene tried to keep her attention on the prisoners, knowing that even without the subliminal influence, some could still be loyal to the cause and therefore a danger to her and the Doctor. But she couldn't ignore what was happening onscreen.</p>
<p><em>'My people are being slaughtered, and it's all in my name,'</em>  she thought. Her hands shook and she tightened her grip on the gun so it wouldn't show.</p>
<p>"It's close."</p>
<p>The Doctor looked back down at the console. The commands she'd programmed had reached all the drones, but if she shut them down now, it would stop them blocking the subliminal signal, and she needed that to keep on until the hold broke on everyone.</p>
<p>"Doctor!" Serene cried again. "Please! You can't - I can't-"</p>
<p>One of the technicians, hearing her falter, turned and tried to make a run at her. Serene shot him in the leg and he fell to the ground.</p>
<p>"Nobody move!" she screamed, and the Doctor could hear how close she was to mental collapse. Nothing could really prepare you for a situation like this, and she knew how hard Serene was taking the whole thing. What she was being pushed into doing, what she felt she had to do, to stop those who wanted to make her their puppet queen, to put her face on all they were doing.</p>
<p>"I really hope this works," the Doctor muttered under her breath, and she hit the killswitch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tilin had been very good at what she did, and immediately, worldwide, every single drone stopped firing and dropped to the ground, inert and essentially destroyed.</p>
<p>It was too late to save the Zinariyans the drones had prioritised, but there were many more who would've been killed, and the Doctor told herself she had to focus on that.</p>
<p>"Give me the gun, Serene."</p>
<p>The young woman got down from the table. She didn't want to surrender the weapon, but the Doctor tugged it from her hands.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can use that name anymore."</p>
<p>She flipped up the visor, wiping away tears.</p>
<p>"Is that it? Did it work?"</p>
<p>"The drones are dead, and I'm pretty sure all the nanites shut down too, across the planet," the Doctor replied, stepping forward to keep the technicians covered with the gun. It felt so wrong to do that, but she couldn't risk any more of them attacking Serene. And what if any of them had heard her use that name and figured out who Serene was, blamed her for what was happening?</p>
<p>"The subliminal signal, does anyone here know where that was being sent from?" she asked the technicians.</p>
<p>"Uh, there's something going on up on the top floor?" One replied, hesitantly. They sounded confused, which wasn't surprising. They would have been the first affected, and as their nanites shut down, some of them would probably have been uncomfortable to say the least when they realised what they'd been doing.</p>
<p>"Right. Get him some help," the Doctor indicated the wounded man on the floor. "But none of you follow us. This uprising? Stops now."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stalked from the room. Once out of sight, she took the power bank from the gun, rendering it harmless. Serene followed her, struggling to deal with what had happened, what she'd done.</p>
<p>"Doctor-"</p>
<p>"Not now, Serene."</p>
<p>Her tone was the darkest Serene had heard it, and Serene decided the best thing to do was shut up and do what she was told. Trust that the Doctor knew what she was doing, because Serene knew she herself certainly didn't.</p>
<p><em>'Not that they ever intended to let you actually rule, but you'd have made a terrible queen,'</em>  she thought. She remembered how angry the Doctor had been about her shooting Adams, the guard on Ksako. But then again, how self-obsessed was it to worry about her own actions, when so many Zinariyans had just died?</p>
<p><em>'Don't make it about you.'</em>  Serene told herself, firmly. <em>'Just get on with whatever needs to be done.'</em></p>
<p>The calm, focused feeling she'd discovered in the early stages of travelling with the Doctor was a million miles away but she strove to remember it, to bring herself back to her name.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Be who you are, not what anyone else wants you to be.'</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The control room on the top floor was as confused and chaotic as the one for the drones, but some people were still working, trying to find out what had happened, why they could no longer affect the population, to contact the other control sites across the planet.</p>
<p>The Doctor pushed her way in, dumping the gun into the arms of a thoroughly confused programmer, who immediately dropped it.</p>
<p>"Everyone out!" she announced, not shouting but commanding nonetheless. Most of the programmers did as she said, glad to be away from what they'd been doing, and the Doctor focused her attention on the half-dozen people still working.</p>
<p>One of them, she realised, the man who seemed to be in charge, was the architect Harvellon and the Doctor was glad she no longer held a weapon so she wasn't tempted to use it on him. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been trying to stop her and Tilin escaping, may well have been the one to order Tilin's death, despite the engineer's professed 'usefulness'.</p>
<p>"It's over," the Doctor told them. "The nanites are destroyed, I've broken your hold over the population. If you still want a revolution, you're gonna have to do it the hard way, and if any of you really wanna do that, then you'll have to get through me first."</p>
<p>Everyone stopped work, realising what she said was true.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" Harvellon asked. "How've you done this?"</p>
<p>"I had help. Her name was Tilin, and without her, more people would've died."</p>
<p>Harvellon paused, perhaps recognising that his failure to bring the two aliens under control on the station and allowing the Doctor to escape had had far more consequences than he'd thought, having underestimated both Tilin and the Doctor.</p>
<p>"But why? You're not even from here, why do you care-"</p>
<p>"Why do I want to stop people using mind control to take over a democratic Alliance and turn it into a dictatorship?" The Doctor replied, sharply.</p>
<p>"Think about what you're asking, what you were trying to do. Choice should never be taken away."</p>
<p>"But the bloodline…"</p>
<p>"The bloodline is ended."</p>
<p>This was Serene, who'd come in quietly behind the Doctor and removed the helmet, revealing her face. The Zinariyans remaining in the room recognised her immediately.</p>
<p>She took off the guard uniform, so that she faced them in the civilian clothing she'd left the hospital in. She seemed more composed, or at least had successfully concealed her inner turmoil. The Doctor stood aside to let Serene speak to them, while she herself used the computers in the room to connect to the ones across the world broadcasting the subliminal signal, commanding them all to shut down. If she'd had more allies here, maybe she could've done this at the same time as stopping the drones, saved more lives but she'd been so caught up in rescuing Serene and then it'd been too late.</p>
<p><em>'Usually I'm the one starting revolutions, and then gaining allies is step number one,'</em>  the Doctor thought. <em>'Being thrown into the middle of an uprising and trying to stop it when my best friend's so entangled in the plot 's a bit different. Need to think about that, going forward.'</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Zinariyans looked at Serene in confusion.</p>
<p>"Regnant?"</p>
<p>"No. I'm not your Regnant, not your leader. My name is Serene. I was a lay sister in the Cerebral Order, then I was a traveller, then I was abducted and brought here against my will to be some figurehead of your revolution, and I'm telling you all now, I want no part in this. There are no more Regnants, nor will there ever be. Accept that."</p>
<p>"But-" Harvellon began, but was cut off.</p>
<p>"Accept that!"</p>
<p>There was enough of the regal tone in her voice to convince them she was serious, whatever they wanted to believe.</p>
<p>"If you don't want the Alliance to exist, that's one thing. But destroying it entirely, forcing its citizens to live under tyranny? No. Not in my name, not in anyone's name."</p>
<p>"But you said-" one of the other programmers spoke up.</p>
<p>"Under mind control? You saw the nanites got shut down, yes? The broadcast broken? Then you have your answer."</p>
<p>"Sorry to interrupt." This was the Doctor. "But just so you know, everything the drones did was recorded, as is everything happening in this room. So when backup arrive - and they are on their way - you and all your fellow architects are going to be held accountable for what you've done."</p>
<p>"Backup?" Serene asked.</p>
<p>"From Sito and Kenna, and from the moon colonies and stations where the nanite programme wasn't implemented yet," the Doctor explained.</p>
<p>"I guess they didn't feel like sitting around waiting to be invaded and subjugated again, so they're getting all their ships together to come here and take preventative action."</p>
<p>Some of the remaining Zinariyans reacted to this with resignation. Harvellon took his weapon from its holster and pushed it away across the table then sat down, his expression defiant but his manner still one of surrender. Others tried to leave the room, but the Doctor pointed to the security camera.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't bother. Like I said, everyone can see who stayed here once the mind control wore off. The game's up."</p>
<p>One of the panicking Zinariyans approached Serene,</p>
<p>"Regnant, please! Even if you don't want to rule, surely you can see we did this out of loyalty, of love for you and your bloodline. All we wanted was to restore things to how they were. Help us, please."</p>
<p>But Serene stood like a statue and said no more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mind control was broken, but that was only the first step in ending the attempted coup. The drones had fallen, but there were still armed troops, now split into two sides and there was literal fighting in the streets as the Zinariyan people teetered on the precipice of civil war all over again.</p>
<p>The Doctor and Serene made their way outside, Serene grabbing a hooded long coat in the hope that it might prevent anyone from recognising her. People were everywhere, and no-one seemed to know what was going on, or what to do.</p>
<p>"Maybe… should I speak up?" Serene asked, uncertain. She was calmer now, but still a long way from her old self. "Like I did back there, but to everyone? Make sure they all know I didn't want to be a part of it. People might stand down, if they know there isn't a bloodline to fight for?"</p>
<p>"Maybe. I'm not sure that'll be enough."</p>
<p>"What else can we do?</p>
<p>The Doctor went momentarily quiet, remembering an earlier thought.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Can I ask that of her? It seems like the only way to be sure, but…'</em>
</p>
<p>She wanted to dismiss it again, but this time it persisted.</p>
<p>"I've got an idea," she said aloud. "But I don't think you'll like it."</p>
<p>/</p>
<hr/>
<p>\</p>
<p>Unsure of what reception Serene would get anywhere if she was recognised, or what reaction there would be to the Doctor, as one of the few off-worlders running around the city, they both kept the hoods of their coats up and stuck to the side streets. Avoiding the ongoing battles as best they could, they returned to the building where Serene had been held, hoping that the architects were storing what they'd extracted from her close by to where the surgery had taken place.</p>
<p>The utter confusion of the general populace as the mind control broke down was acted out across the whole city, presumably the whole planet, but this also meant that they went unchallenged as they made their way through the building. On finding the gene lab, there was a lock on the entrance, but the Doctor made short work of that. Most of the staff had gone, far greater worries than looking after genetic samples, regardless of which side they'd chosen.</p>
<p>However, one remained, taking flasks out of the storage freezers on the far side of the room and packing them into an insulated case. On the table in the middle of the room sat a box filled with blood samples and various labelled test tubes. The young man in question wasn't wearing a lab coat or scrubs, but the blue uniform of the architects. Neither the Doctor nor Serene had seen him before, but as Serene took down her hood, he recognised her, glancing guiltily down at the flask in his gloved hands, then back up at her.</p>
<p>Serene folded her arms, holding his gaze, her blue eyes cold.</p>
<p>"I think that belongs to me."</p>
<p>"But... Dr Theri instructed me to-"</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sure she did." This was the Doctor, intervening. "Now, you heard the lady. That belongs to her."</p>
<p>He looked between their two stony expressions, panic written across his own face, then carefully put the flask into the case, handing it over to Serene. She took it, pointing at the box on the table with her other hand.</p>
<p>"And those? Are those from the Regnant family?"</p>
<p>"I - yes."</p>
<p>"Is that all of it?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Most samples were destroyed when they were-" he bit back the rest of that sentence as he remembered who he was talking to "-uh, after the civil war."</p>
<p>"And what about computer files? Stored DNA analysis and that?" the Doctor asked, going over to the terminal on the desk beside the table and scrolling through the open files.</p>
<p>"I was running a search, but nothing came up," he replied, even more jittery. "Can I go?"</p>
<p>"That depends," Serene replied, putting the strap of the case over her shoulder and closing the lid on the box.</p>
<p>"Where are you going, and what are you meant to be doing with these?"</p>
<p>The young architect clearly had no idea how to react to the last Regnant before him, wanting to obey her but also aware there were probably going to be negative repercussions to him allowing her to just take the genetic materials.</p>
<p>"Let me guess," The Doctor cut in, not looking up from the computer.</p>
<p>"You lot have a bolthole somewhere, not within the Alliance but not far away. Any of you who don't get caught are planning to regroup there and start this whole thing up again once the dust settles on this attempt. Am I close?"</p>
<p>He swallowed nervously.</p>
<p>"It looks like you're right, Doctor," Serene said. "What should we do with him?"</p>
<p>"Oh, I think we can let him go. He can deliver a message for us to any of the other architects who get away."</p>
<p>"And what message is that?"</p>
<p>"He's a bright lad. I'm sure he can figure it out."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stared at the two women.</p>
<p>"Uh… that the Regnant took back her, um, genetic samples and the DNA records for her family?" he tried.</p>
<p>"That's a good start," Serene replied. "I have something to add, though."</p>
<p>She moved to stand right in front of him, grabbing hold of the collar of his uniform with her free hand, eyes boring into his.</p>
<p>"I do <em>not</em> belong to you. Any of you. I belong to myself, and you do not get to use any part of me, no matter who my family might have been. Do you understand?"</p>
<p>He nodded, wordless.</p>
<p>"All right then."</p>
<p>She released him, turning away and picking the box up from the table.</p>
<p>"Off you go."</p>
<p>He fled.</p>
<p>Serene looked over at the Doctor, who was still working on the computer.</p>
<p>"Anything on there?"</p>
<p>"Not that I can see. It could be hidden, though, so…"</p>
<p>The Doctor entered a series of commands, and the computer began to delete the stored data.</p>
<p>"Hope none of that was anything important. There's probably more records elsewhere, though."</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>They hurried back to the TARDIS to lock everything they'd retrieved safely away, then they went to see what all the clamour was in the main city square.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Ships were landing from the rest of the Alliance. Following the executions of all the leaders on Taer Prime, there were emergency broadcasts declaring that representatives from the leaders of the other planets, Sito and Kenna, along with those from the moon colonies, had come together to create a temporary government, until order could be restored and new elections held. The speed with which this was organised suggested that an anti-Alliance uprising may have been expected for some time, plans already made for such an eventuality.</p>
<p>The Architects were being identified and rounded up, held in the City Hall on the square. Knowing how dangerous it could be to try and walk Serene through the crowds, the Doctor took them straight there in the TARDIS, materialising in the corner of the conference room where the Alliance leaders were confronting the captured Architects.</p>
<p>All of the ones they'd encountered had been brought there - Arran, who made the public speeches, Furej the record keeper who had written them, seemingly the only one who thought that Serene was genuinely important to them, not just a tool to be used. Harvellon the military leader, Theri, the doctor who had performed the surgery on Serene, and Rydan, who had made it so very clear that Serene 'belonged' to the Architects, and who thought the young woman was nothing and no-one without them. More were being brought in, still in their blue uniforms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor stepped through the TARDIS doors, waving in a friendly manner at the startled Zinariyan people.</p>
<p>"Hello!"</p>
<p>There were armed guards behind the architects, but their attention was fortunately more on their charges than an alien appearing out of thin air.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" demanded one of the leaders from Sito, a young man in a smart suit, his dark hair cropped short.</p>
<p>"I'm the Doctor. For once, I didn't actually mean to get caught up in a revolution, and I didn't start it either. This time, though, getting involved wasn't a choice. These people here-" she indicated the Architects "-brought it all on themselves when they abducted my friend and tried to force her to help them seize power. I think some of you might know her?"</p>
<p>She turned as Serene came out of the TARDIS. The young woman had changed her clothes again, and was now wearing the pink lay sister tunic from her days with the Cerebral Order, her hair in a long braid, her face cleaned of any residing gaudy cosmetics.</p>
<p>Two of the Alliance forces moved forward to arrest her, but the Doctor stepped between them, hands raised.</p>
<p>"Not so fast. You know the Architects were using mind control, and my friend did not cooperate willingly. Not only that, she's not who you think she is."</p>
<p>"But she is!" cried out Furej, seated under armed guard on the other side of the room. "She is the very last of the bloodline of the Zinariyan Regnants."</p>
<p>"And can you prove that?" The Doctor demanded. "All the Regnants were killed in the civil war, before the Alliance formed. Where did you miraculously find this long-lost survivor no-one'd ever heard of?"</p>
<p>"She was never lost. We knew she was at the Cerebral Order." Arran replied.</p>
<p>"So how exactly did you find her after she left?" the Doctor asked, the one thing she hadn't been able to figure out. The Millefiori Galleria was a long way from Taer Prime, and before that, they hadn't even been in the correct time period.</p>
<p>"We had alerts set up across the galaxy," he replied, arrogance still dripping from his tone, his manner.</p>
<p>"Enough of her parents' DNA remained on record that any time a match was discovered by a security system, we were notified, and we had a wide network of assistance, paid to retrieve the heir wherever she appeared."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even the Doctor was taken aback. The Galleria had taken their handprints on admission, true, that was part of how it could uphold a truce - any troublemakers would easily be identified - but she hadn't realised DNA had been taken too. And the architects had not only hacked this database, they'd been ready and waiting to swoop in and snatch Serene on a day's notice.</p>
<p>"Wow. That is some <em>serious</em> dedication there. Shame it involved abducting people across the galaxy. And from the Millefiori Galleria? Famous for maintaining a truce over several centuries?"</p>
<p>"We were prepared to do whatever it took."</p>
<p>"I can see that. Pity you got the wrong person."</p>
<p>A ripple of surprise ran through the room, although Arran was unchanged.</p>
<p>"We did not. She has been tested, and she is the last true heir."</p>
<p>"Then prove it." Serene finally spoke up. She turned to face the Alliance. "If I am who they say, it should be easy to do."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The leader from Kenna, an older woman with dark gold skin, her long black hair turning to silver, considered this.</p>
<p>"We do have records of the Regnants. And they are our own records, so they will not have been corrupted by any of these -" she gestured to the Architects "- foolish, misguided upstarts. We will compare our records with theirs, and then with you."</p>
<p>"I'm willing to cooperate, in whatever way you need."</p>
<p>It didn't take long. The Alliance records matched with those of the Architects, but the sample Serene provided came up negative.</p>
<p>"You were correct," the Kenna leader said, sounding a little surprised. "This woman is not a descendant of the bloodline."</p>
<p>The Architects were outraged, but they were allowed to examine the results and there it was, clear to see. Serene's sample did not match.</p>
<p>Theri stared at the information on the screen, disbelief stamped across her face.</p>
<p>"How is this possible? The records haven't been altered, but your DNA has changed! How?"</p>
<p>/</p>
<hr/>
<p>\</p>
<p>
  <em>"I've got an idea," the Doctor said. "But I don't think you'll like it."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They went back to the TARDIS, where she sought out a piece of technology she'd hoped would never be used again. Serene regarded the unpleasant-looking head piece with trepidation.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What's that?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It's called a Chameleon Arch. Simply put, it alters the user at a genetic level."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Serene stared at her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What does that mean?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Well, when I used it, I turned myself human. One heart, human DNA, nothing that would make me detectable as a Time Lord until I turned myself back. If you-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Doctor hesitated, uncomfortable to even suggest this as an option.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It can modify you so you'd no longer carry your ancestors' genes. Any test'd show you to be an ordinary Zinariyan, and no-one could ever try and use you like this again."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Serene gazed at the contraption, her blue eyes unreadable.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What would that mean for me, though? What else would change?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I can control that. You'd still look the same, be the same person-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Can you guarantee that?" Serene interrupted. "It wouldn't be like when you regenerate?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Nothing like that, no. It could do, but all I'd set it to do is change you enough that you wouldn't show up as a descendant any more."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"And if I ever have children? They'd be different - safe - too?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yes."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"What aren't you telling me?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Their eyes met, and there was another pause.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>"It'll hurt. A lot. Not as much as changing to a different species, but it will be pretty bad and I can't stop that."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Is that all?" Serene's expression altered, a determined set to her jaw which made the Doctor doubt even more whether this was the right course of action.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"So if I do this, and we get back what they took from me, there really won't be a bloodline anymore?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That's the idea. But you don't have to-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Let's get on with it, then."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Serene took the arch and set it on her head.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I want you to think about this, Serene. Don't do anything you could regret later-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'm sure. But thank you, Doctor. For giving me a choice. It's more than anyone else did."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She shut her eyes and waited for the transformation to start.</em>
</p>
<p>/</p>
<hr/>
<p>\</p>
<p>"We made sure," Theri insisted. "And we took-"</p>
<p>She stopped, suddenly aware that she was essentially under arrest and on trial.</p>
<p>"Yes?" Serene asked, folding her arms, her expression cold. "What did you take from me?"</p>
<p>"If we're compiling a list of offences, best to be thorough," the Doctor added. "We've got abduction - from a famously neutral location, by the way - holding her prisoner, using mind control to get her to take part in your coup against her will, and non-consensual, forced surgery, yes?"</p>
<p>Theri hesitated.</p>
<p>"I-"</p>
<p>"There's probably a load of footage from the security cameras that can prove all that, right? I mean, I know there is, because I found it."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Doctor, outwardly calm but seething inside, raised the sonic and hacked the screen on the wall so it showed film of an unconscious Serene brought into the room on Taer Prime she'd been kept in on arrival. Then it cut to a recorded Rydan, calmly recounting the intent to 'harvest' from Serene, before Theri drugged her and took her away, into surgery.</p>
<p>The Doctor stepped back and took her friend's hand; Serene was trembling, but she remained quiet. That part was over. She'd survived it, survived all of it, and with any luck, soon it would all be over.</p>
<p>"There's more, obviously, but I was a bit pushed for time," the Doctor continued. "So I think we can all agree, my friend here was forced into becoming a pretender to the Zinariyan throne, or whatever you wanna call it, against her will, and that she's not a person of interest to you?"</p>
<p>The Alliance leaders conferred. The Kennan leader turned back to the Doctor and Serene.</p>
<p>"If she will give evidence that she does not, and has never supported this movement-"</p>
<p>"Already done."</p>
<p>The Doctor used the sonic again, and new footage began to play on the screen. Recorded inside the TARDIS, Serene stated clearly, and in as composed a manner as she could, that she did not oppose Alliance rule, had no intention of ever supporting any other method of government. She stated that she had never even lived on any of the Alliance ruled worlds, except as a baby, and that she had spent most of her life as a lay sister of the Cerebral Order, claiming the privilege and neutrality that came with associating with such an organisation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Do you intend to remain here, to become a citizen of the Alliance?"</p>
<p>Serene found herself wavering. Despite everything that had happened, this was, technically, her home. She'd been born here on Taer Prime, as had all her ancestors. She was Zinariyan, these were her people. But…</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Then you will not be charged with any offence," the Sito leader said.</p>
<p>"It is quite clear you were brought here by force, and any actions as part of the coup were against your will. We have more pressing concerns."</p>
<p>"Time we were off," the Doctor murmured. Serene looked over the room one more time. This was in hand. It was over.</p>
<p>She was… free.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor began dematerialisation immediately, before the Alliance could think of any awkward questions they wanted answering, or to think more on her own part in bringing down the coup.</p>
<p>"I wasn't far off when I called you Grand Duchess Anastasia," she said to Serene, trying to lighten the mood a little.</p>
<p>Serene still didn't get the reference, but that didn't matter.</p>
<p><em>'Probably should avoid visiting Revolutionary Russia, though,'</em> the Doctor thought.</p>
<p>"So… we never made it to the Alvlthe galaxy. You remember? Whole planets made of crystal?"</p>
<p>"Actually-" Serene said, hesitant. "There is somewhere I'd like to go."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a secluded, private beach. White sands, palm trees, and water clear as crystal, on a sunny day. A cool breeze swayed the trees, and the waves lapped gently on the shore.</p><p>Serene sat on the sand, staring out at the sea. She'd been there some hours, unmoving.</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor, busying herself with constructing an enormous sandcastle next to the TARDIS, was worried. But this was what Serene had requested, and she'd always said the ocean made her feel calm. With what she'd been through, it was hardly surprising she felt the need to sit somewhere tranquil. Although they still needed to have a serious talk about some of her actions on Taer Prime.</p><p><em>'Can't have her running around shooting people,'</em>  the Doctor thought. <em>'Might expect that from some of the people I've travelled with, but she should know better. And if it happens again, she might well kill someone, and I don't wanna think about how that'll change her.'</em></p><p>Her choice of words made her wince, and she couldn't block out the recollection of Serene screaming in agony as the Chameleon Arch altered her. The Doctor had done everything she could to try to make it easier, hoped it wouldn't be as painful for Serene as she remembered it being for herself.</p><p>
  <em>'I did that to her. I was trying to protect her but it was me who hurt her the most. Maybe it would've been enough to just change their records…'</em>
</p><p>But she knew it wouldn't have been. Ideas like a ruling bloodline were tenacious, and if she'd missed just one record - and the architects had said they had a network across the galaxy looking for Regnant DNA, the Doctor would never have been able to find all of it - then it could've happened all over again one day, and she'd have had to always keep Serene away from this part of the galaxy, this time period, for her whole life.</p><p>
  <em>'Whoa, gone a bit gloomy, Doctor. Come on, it could've been worse.'</em>
</p><p>But it wasn't that easy to shake off, especially now she was back to travelling with only one friend again. With a Team in the TARDIS, there'd always been someone else for her friends to talk to, other than her. And Serene didn't have a family to go back to either. Although…</p><p> </p><p>As the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, the Doctor approached Serene and offered her the shawl from the Millefiori Galleria.</p><p>"Thought you might want this."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Serene wrapped it around her shoulders.</p><p>"I picked up a new wrist thingy for your recall device too, when I went back to the Order. I synced it up so it's ready to go, and I gave it a few upgrades, so it's easier for us to communicate or find each other, if we get separated again."</p><p>Serene twisted brightly coloured fabric through her fingers, not taking her eyes off the sunset.</p><p>"You're so good to me, Doctor. I'm sorry."</p><p>"Sorry for what, exactly?"</p><p>The Doctor sat down on the sand next to her.</p><p>"For causing you all this trouble."</p><p>"Hey, none of that. Yes, you should've been honest with me from the beginning, but it probably wouldn't have made much difference. And we will have a very serious discussion at some point about you shooting people."</p><p>Serene looked down at her feet.</p><p>"I know. I'm not proud of that either."</p><p>"This isn't the time for a lecture, though. I've done things I regret too, a lot of things. And those are just the ones I can remember."</p><p> </p><p>Serene gave a start.</p><p>"Oh, Doctor, I… I forgot. All this time finding out about my past, my identity. I forgot that you don't know yours either. I'm sorry, I got so caught up…"</p><p>She trailed off.</p><p>"That's understandable," the Doctor said. "I'm not really talking about me though-"</p><p>"Actually, that's not true," Serene cut her off. "I didn't 'forget', not really. I still have some of your memories."</p><p>She still didn't meet the Doctor's eyes.</p><p>"Some of them were private. I don't remember what they were now, but I made sure Professor Leyser removed them; didn't seem right, having access to something you didn't choose to share."</p><p>The Doctor was surprised to hear that.</p><p>"You never said?"</p><p>"How could I? I didn't know you'd invite me to travel with you, and we'd be friends. I didn't want you to think I'd pried. But I do remember…"</p><p>She hesitated, glancing over at her friend.</p><p>"Gallifrey. And not just your memories. Missy's too."</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor didn't know how to react to that.</p><p>Serene looked back out across the sea, to the sky.</p><p>"A burnt orange sky, with two suns. A city in a glass dome. And running."</p><p>The Doctor smiled, though the words made her sad, the images Serene was describing clear in her mind; Gallifrey how she remembered it, not how it was now.</p><p>"Sounds about right."</p><p>"Not running away, just… running," Serene said. "For the sake of it. And a feeling of joy as you ran. But I can't tell if that's hers or yours, because I think you're both there."</p><p>She turned back to the Doctor.</p><p>"Do you want to see? You could link our minds, if you want to."</p><p>The Doctor thought that through.</p><p>"One day, maybe. Do you mind having memories that aren't yours?"</p><p>"Not really. They aren't bad memories, I don't think. It's sort of like having dreamed something you've never seen."</p><p>"And none of them are of me being President?" the Doctor asked.</p><p>Serene's startled reaction showed that she hadn't ever seen that in their fused memories.</p><p>"You're not the only one who could've been in a position of power," the Doctor continued. She felt a little uncomfortable sharing that information, but it might help.</p><p>"I never actually wanted to be President of Gallifrey, so I ran away. Again. And Earth made me their temporary president a couple of times, when they were under threat, but I can't say it's for me, being in charge of whole planets. Not officially, anyway, not when there's all that pomp and circumstance. Oh, and the paperwork!"</p><p>"You've spent a lot of time on Earth?" Serene asked. "Before we met?"</p><p>"One of my favourite planets."</p><p>"Maybe I should give it another go. They can't try and burn me as a witch every time?"</p><p>"I'm sure I can find a time and a place where that isn't much of a risk."</p><p>They both smiled.</p><p> </p><p>"I did have an idea of where we could go next," The Doctor said.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"I might not know my whole life story, but that doesn't mean I don't know who I am. I met myself once, sort of, and she told me if I'd never felt limited by who I was before, then I shouldn't now. River said pretty much the same."</p><p>Serene absorbed that, thoughtfully.</p><p>"And at least I thought I knew who I was, growing up" the Doctor continued. "I had a home, a people, a family. Other than the Order, you never really had that. You said you were afraid of what you'd find out about your background, and while it seems you were right to feel that way, there is more to your people, all those planets than what we saw these last few days. How'd you feel if we went back, or forwards in time and had a look round? As tourists, just ordinary folk."</p><p>Serene turned to look at her, surprised.</p><p>"I - I never thought of that."</p><p>"It might give you some good memories of your people. There's thousands of years of history, and in the future the Alliance expands, makes all these agreements and accords with other cultures."</p><p>"Then… yes. Thank you."</p><p> </p><hr/><p>They hopped back in time to before the architects' coup had begun, and went to Sito first, the agricultural planet, and spend several days exploring. It wasn't some rural, pastoral vision, but it was very beautiful and the different local cuisines they found had some of the best food either of them had ever tasted.</p><p>Then they went to Kenna, which was known best for its mining and mineral processing, and what had grown from that was hugely impressive metalwork, precious stone jewellery and art, and some of the most innovative engineering of the entire Alliance, more so even than the space station they'd arrived at.</p><p>Both planets had their own versions of the Millefiori Galleria, markets that had grown out of the unification process after the civil war, where people from all over the Alliance came to meet and trade. This made Serene feel much better; there was hope for peace, regardless of whatever people like the architects did.</p><p> </p><p>Then they returned to Taer Prime, but in the time just before the civil war that had ended the Regnant rule. The Doctor knew she should probably have refused this request, knowing the trouble she'd had in the past with her friends wanting to see lost loved ones, but Serene had insisted all she wanted was to visit that time, to hear from the people in the street what they really thought about the Regnants, maybe see her parents from the distance.</p><p><em>'I know I'm gonna regret this,'</em>  the Doctor thought. <em>'But… this is the only way she'll ever know her family.'</em></p><p>So they went back to the capital city, where the Regnant family were due to make a public appearance on the balcony of the city hall, the same building their supposed loyalists would be held and tried in, a little over twenty years in the future.</p><p><em>'It's really not that long,'</em>  the Doctor mused. <em>'How much change these planets, these people implemented in such a short time.'</em></p><p> </p><p>Serene was being very quiet, absorbing everything around her. As they threaded their way through the crowd in the square, she listened to what people were saying. On Sito and Kenna, post civil war, people no longer mentioned the Regnants, their subjugated past much, though the notion of independence and what it really meant within the Alliance came up a lot. But here, now, with inherited rule still in place, having been the system for millennia, it was very different.</p><p>Closer to the front, there were flag wavers, people cheering their rulers, happy to see them, but further back, there had been quite open resentment, even some protesters.</p><p>Serene had given it a lot of thought. Some people valued tradition, thought of it as part of Zinariyan culture, (especially if their lives were relatively stable and comfortable), others didn't mind there being some kind of figurehead based on inherited rule, but still wanted democracy.</p><p> </p><p>But it was those who wanted rid of the Regnants altogether who would ultimately win out. And, she realised, by wiping out her family they had in fact shortened the civil war - if everyone thought there was no-one left to inherit, then the old way could never be reinstated, bringing in a new way by necessity.</p><p>Maybe she should feel anger towards those who murdered all of her family, who would no doubt have killed her too, given the chance. But though there was grief for those she had never known, she felt, oddly, that she couldn't take the actions of the rebels personally. A lot of democracies had been born out of revolution, from the execution of previous leaders.</p><p>Maybe she would have felt differently had she grown up here, raised by her own parents within this system, felt that she was indeed born to rule, that she should have power due to nothing but an accident of birth. That was not a good feeling.</p><p>
  <em>'How much of who I am is how I was raised? I try to be who I know I am, not what anyone else wants me to be, but...'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>There was a loud fanfare, and up on the balcony, a man and woman appeared. They both wore long robes, simple and flowing but in gorgeous colours, and each had a kind of coronet on their head. Serene felt all breath leave her body when she realised she was, for the first time, looking at her parents.</p><p>The Doctor, standing by her side, put a hand on her shoulder in silent support.</p><p>The Regnants made a short speech, but Serene didn't take in a word, staring up at the balcony, her heart pounding and her hands shaking.</p><p>"Are you all right, dear?" asked the elderly lady to Serene's right.</p><p>"Y-yes. I just…"</p><p>"Is this the first time you've seen the royal family? It can be a bit overwhelming."</p><p>The lady was wearing the Zinariyan flag - a golden sun flanked by two silver crescent moons on a blue/green background - like a cape, held closed at her throat with a pin of the crown shaped seal of the Regnants. Serene couldn't help but wonder what happened to this kindly old lady when the revolution began. Would she suffer for her loyalties?</p><p>"They're such a wonderful couple! And there'll be a baby before the end of the year."</p><p>The lady smiled, genuinely delighted at this, and Serene felt an indescribable sensation run through her. That was herself the lady was talking about. Her mother, standing only a few hundred feet away, was pregnant with the baby that would grow to be her, Serene.</p><p>She turned to the Doctor, speechless.</p><p>"Remember what I said," the Doctor said, understanding but firm. "We can't change anything."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>"We can go, if this is too much."</p><p>Serene turned back to look at the couple on the balcony.</p><p>"Not yet."</p><p> </p><p>They stayed until the speeches were over and the crowd began to dissipate, then the Doctor and Serene wandered away. Serene was visibly distracted so the Doctor kept quiet, wanting to give her time to process everything. They ended up by the side entrance to the city hall building, where a line of people, presumably workers arriving for a new shift, were heading inside. A security guard was checking their passes as they went through, and Serene tensed as she saw them.</p><p>The Doctor caught wind of her intentions and went to grab her arm, but Serene had already ducked under a barrier and had slotted herself into the line.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she mouthed at the Doctor, who threw up her hands.</p><p><em>'Every time!' </em> the Doctor thought, annoyed but not really angry. <em>'I <span class="u">knew</span> she'd try something like this, and still I went along with it.'</em></p><p>Serene flashed the psychic paper at the guard, who let her inside. The Doctor checked her pockets. Nothing else seemed to be missing, but she hadn't noticed Serene taking it - had she been planning this all along?</p><p>
  <em>'Fine, whatever. Not the first to pull a stunt like this. But I'm not getting her out of trouble this time. She can look after herself. I'm gonna-'</em>
</p><p>The Doctor thought about it. What did she want to do? Assuming Serene was coming back at some point, she probably had a few hours to fill. There was, no doubt, some trouble of her own she could get into, but there was an errand nagging at the back of her mind, something she meant to do earlier, not a loose end so much as a debt to pay off.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>Serene followed the others going into the city hall for a while, then slipped off down another corridor. She didn't really know what she was doing, had only had half a plan of action in her head when she'd taken the psychic paper. But once she'd seen the two figures on the balcony, she'd known that glimpsing them from a distance wouldn't be enough, didn't know why she'd thought it would be. She'd gone most of her life not knowing who her parents really were, and until they'd arrived here, now, she'd actually been okay with that. Yes, her childhood at the Order had been a little strange and a lot lonely, but it hadn't been actually bad. So why was she doing this?</p><p>She spotted a woman coming out of a storage room carrying a huge stack of fabric bolts in her arms, tall enough that her face was obscured. As she went to enter the lift, the stack teetered and began to fall. Serene hurried forward and put up her hands, stopping the pile from spilling.</p><p>"It's okay, I've got it!" she said to the woman half-hidden behind the fabric, and together they got in the lift, holding up the tower of material.</p><p>"Oh, thank you!" the woman said. "I should've got a trolley or something, but I didn't think this through!"</p><p>"I know that feeling," Serene replied. "Where are you taking this?"</p><p>"The Regnant's dressing room," the woman said, and Serene tried not to laugh. Only fair that this was going so easily, really, when you compared it to what she'd been through on this planet, in the future.</p><p> </p><p>"I came here to see the Regnant too."</p><p>"Oh yes? Where from?"</p><p>"The Cerebral Order." It was, after all, half true. Serene was glad she hadn't changed out of her old tunic, in case anyone decided to question her further, or look up what the Order was.</p><p>"What's that?"</p><p>"It's an organisation dedicated to knowledge and study," Serene explained.</p><p>"Like a university?"</p><p>"Yes, but there's no emphasis on qualifications, or completing some arbitrary course. Some people go to learn something specific, others spend their whole lives there, just studying, working on whatever their specialisation is."</p><p>"That sounds lovely!" the woman said, her voice slightly muffled by the cloth. "I never got the chance to do anything like that; I apprenticed at a young age. Not that I'm complaining, you understand. I'm very lucky to have this job."</p><p> </p><p>The lift dinged as it reached the right floor, and they carefully manoeuvred the pile of fabrics out into the corridor and through into the royal apartments, which were surprisingly simple. Serene had expected these rooms to be plush and opulent, but while the architecture was beautiful - fan vaulted ceilings, enormous windows and light wood panelling on the walls - the carpets and furniture were plain, hard wearing rather than conspicuous consumption.</p><p>Various attendants were busying themselves around the rooms as Serene and the other woman put the fabric bolts down at the end of a long table. Next to the table stood a dressmaker's dummy with a half-finished dress on it, which caught Serene's attention enough that she didn't notice anyone else come into the room until she realised it had gone very quiet.</p><p>Serene turned, and there was her mother.</p><p> </p><p>She was young, far younger than Serene had expected, only in her late twenties, and, despite the royal robe, she didn't look as much like a queen as Serene had thought she would, either. Her eyes were the same vivid blue as Serene's, but other than that, the two of them didn't look especially alike.</p><p>"And who is this?" Regnant Adelais asked, looking at, unknowingly, her own daughter, the same person she was currently pregnant with.</p><p>"My name is Serene, Regnant," she replied, surprising herself with her own composure.</p><p>"I'm of the Cerebral Order, returning home as a representative."</p><p>"Oh." The Regnant accepted this with no apparent surprise at all, used to a constant procession of strangers in her life. She held out her hand toward Serene, who tried to think what she was expected to do in this situation.</p><p>Floundering, she reverted to the only thing she could think of and, taking the Regnant's hand in both of her own, she performed the curtsey she'd learned at Carnivalé in Venice.</p><p>It seemed to do, and Adelais turned her attention to the dress, and the stack of fabric beside it.</p><p>"Yes, this will be perfect," she said to the dressmaker, removing her outer gown and handing it to an attendant, who replaced it with a more comfortable looking woollen robe. "And you'll make a matching wrap for the child, for her presentation day?"</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," the dressmaker replied, stepping out behind the stack of fabric so that Serene could see her face for the first time.</p><p>Not having had much to go on, she'd watched the video footage of how she'd arrived at the Order many, many times, especially when she was a child. Wondered who that person could have been, why they'd brought her infant self to the Order, how they were connected.</p><p>The face of that woman was something she'd studied carefully, committed to memory, and now here it was again, right in front of her.</p><p>Of all the possibilities, this was one she'd never come up with, and the shock of realisation made her dizzy.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you all right?" Adelais asked. "Fetch her a chair," she ordered an attendant, who obeyed.</p><p>"Yes ma'am, just…" Serene took a deep breath. "Just a little light headed."</p><p>"My sympathies," her mother replied, dryly. She motioned for a chair for herself, and they sat side by side. "My duties often require I stand for far longer than is comfortable, especially in this condition."</p><p>She smoothed a hand over the baby bump, visible, but no further advanced than five or six months. Serene couldn't stop herself from staring.</p><p>"It's not been the easiest of pregnancies, but I'm sure she'll be worth it."</p><p>A million questions flooded Serene's mind.</p><p>"Did you plan to have a child?" she blurted out. "Or did you feel you had to? To continue the bloodline, I mean."</p><p>Adelais seemed surprised, but not offended by the question.</p><p>"I always knew I would have to marry and have heirs, if that's what you mean. It's part of being a ruler. I was fortunate that the man I chose to marry was a suitable match, and we both wanted children. My life would have been far more difficult otherwise."</p><p>She looked a little puzzled.</p><p>"Why am I telling you this? I don't know you, but I feel comfortable talking to you."</p><p>Serene smiled, recovering her equilibrium. She decided to take another risk.</p><p>"Have you chosen a name?"</p><p>"Not yet. It's difficult, finding something both of us like, something suitably royal. She may choose to adopt a different name, of course, when it comes her time to rule, but I favour Aster."</p><p><em>'Aster…'</em>  Serene tried it on for size.</p><p>"My favourite flower. Her father wishes to name her Calliope, for some mythical creature from another world. A muse, he said, who inspired poetry, but also held rulers to account, imposing justice and serenity."</p><p>Serene flinched, but Adelais didn't notice.</p><p>"Riordan does love to study other cultures. A nice idea, but I do not think it entirely suitable for a future Regnant."</p><p> </p><p>Serene tried to take all this in. It wouldn't take much to change the future. A few words, here and there, and she could save her parents, maybe everyone. The Doctor would not forgive her if she did interfere, but perhaps it would be worth it.</p><p>The Regnant winced, kicking off her shoes and gesturing for an attendant to bring over a footstool.</p><p>"Rub my feet," she instructed the servant, taking the coronet from her head and handing it to another attendant. Serene bit her lip. So much for being like any other Zinariyan.</p><p>But then she recognised one of the men attending her mother - it was Arran. Twenty years younger, and in a far more lowly position than she'd have thought, given the arrogance he displayed when they met in the future. She glanced over at the other attendants; yes, there was Furej, holding a pile of books, presumably a speech writer then as he would be again. But other than a fleeting desire to take revenge on them for something that had not yet happened, right then all of them seemed completely unimportant.</p><p>"I will be glad when she's born," her mother was saying. "My ankles do swell so. But there's so much to do, preparing for a child. Midwives and nannies to hire, all her ceremonial clothing and regalia to commission, and all the future to plan - tutors for her education are so important, you can't start too soon."</p><p>Serene felt light-headed once more. Temptation was surging again, to say something, to cry out that there would be no future, not for Adelais and her husband, and that there would be no more Regnants, not ever, they would be the very last.</p><p> </p><p>But there was one more question she had to ask.</p><p>"What if she doesn't want to rule?"</p><p>"Excuse me?"</p><p>"What if she doesn't want to be Regnant? Shouldn't she have a choice?"</p><p>"A choice? She is of the bloodline, how could she possibly refuse, and why would she want to?"</p><p>Adelais' tone notably chilled.</p><p>"We have ruled these planets for generations, an unbroken line going back thousands of years. It is the role she will be born for."</p><p>"But -"</p><p>"No, Serene of the Cerebral Order. You may be Zinariyan, but clearly you have been away too long. The Regnants rule because that is how it must be, and that should not be questioned. Of course, if we have more children, there may be some chance she will not be the one to rule, but that is rare. The first-born inherits. My siblings may have made passable Regnants, but it was I who was born to rule, and it will be the same for my daughter."</p><p>Part of Serene's brain was screaming at her to say something, tell her mother of the future, do something, anything to save her, and those who would die alongside her. But would she accept such a warning? And not just that... the coming revolution was not like the uprising the architects had attempted, a small minority seeking to grab power, but instead a movement that had been a long time coming, born from a need to break down the entire system. Her mother didn't just rule, she wielded absolute power and she agreed with the way things were, the lack of democracy, the subjugation of the colonies, in a way that Serene could not.</p><p>The civil war and subsequent creation of the Alliance had been a seismic event, one that shook not only this planet but all Zinariyans, changed everything forever. No matter what she said or did now, nothing could really stop that, no matter if she wanted to. And did she? Even if she could save lives, what future would she bring, for herself, for everyone?</p><p>It was agony, but she kept quiet. The Doctor had been right.</p><p> </p><p>Adelais got to her feet with a groan, an attendant helping her put her shoes back on.</p><p>"I have much to do. Are you visiting long?"</p><p>"No, Regnant."</p><p>"Then safe journey."</p><p>A sudden impulse made Adelais pluck the crown shaped pin from her dress and hand it to Serene.</p><p>"To remind you of home."</p><p>Serene was astonished. She grasped her mother's hand, wanting to embrace her but holding back.</p><p>"Thank you. I- I wish you well, Regnant."</p><p>Adelais swept away, followed by her attendants. Serene watched her go, eyes wide. Inside, she still fought the urge to try and change what was now the future, but also her past. Time travel could be wonderful, but it could also break your heart. How did the Doctor do this for thousands of years?</p><p> </p><p>The dressmaker approached again, looking over Serene's clothing.</p><p>"Is that your uniform? From the - what did you call it again?"</p><p>"The Cerebral Order," Serene murmured, distracted, her eyes still on the space her mother had occupied.</p><p>"Cerebral Order. I'll have to remember that. Do you all wear these tunics?"</p><p>"Mostly. Different members wear different colours; I'm a lay sister, not a full member."</p><p>"Oh, right. But it's nice there?"</p><p>Serene turned to face the woman, suddenly realising what was happening. If this woman hadn't heard of the Order before, but she was the one to take baby Serene there once she'd rescued her from the revolution, then… she'd gotten the idea to do so from Serene herself, here, now, as an adult.</p><p>If she hadn't disobeyed the Doctor and come here, then the loop wouldn't have closed, and the future, her past, would have changed.</p><p>She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Time travel and paradoxes hurt your head.</p><p> </p><p>"What was your name, sorry?" she asked the dressmaker.</p><p>"Selah."</p><p>"Thank you, Selah. For… helping me find my way."</p><p>She enveloped the other woman in a hug, which surprised Selah, but she didn't pull away.</p><p>"To answer your question, yes, the Cerebral Order is nice."</p><p>Serene stepped back, pinning the crown badge onto her tunic.</p><p>"There are libraries, and gardens, and it's… safe. I always felt safe there."</p><p>"Well, that's good to know." Selah smiled and Serene felt any chance to change the future on Taer Prime snap shut around her.</p><p>But although she would always feel a certain amount of anguish around this situation, she remembered the feeling of serenity she'd learned when in mortal danger, and held onto it.</p><p>"I should be going. Goodbye, Selah."</p><p> </p><hr/><p>When she returned to the TARDIS, the Doctor was already there. She was leaning against the console practising tricks with a yo-yo, as if she was trying not to look like she was waiting for her friend. She didn't look up when Serene came in.</p><p>"All done?"</p><p>"I'm sorry-" Serene began.</p><p>"Are you?"</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>"Not really."</p><p>"Didn't think so. But you didn't change anything? No warnings about the future?"</p><p>"I thought about it."</p><p>"Course you did. You wouldn't be a person if you didn't even think about it. What stopped you?"</p><p>"Other than knowing what you'd say if I did? The mess it'd make? I wanted to, but I couldn't. Even the thought that I could save my parents…"</p><p>"Did you find them?"</p><p>"My mother. And-"</p><p>Serene stopped. For some reason, she didn't want to talk about everything she'd discovered. It felt private.</p><p>"I got my answers."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor snapped the yo-yo back up into her hand, putting it away in one of her pockets.</p><p>"I finished what I needed to do, too."</p><p>"What was that?"</p><p>The Doctor took a moment to answer, staring into space.</p><p>"I don't usually go back to places I've escaped from. Don't follow up after people die because of me. But this time, we were already so tangled up in everything… I told you about Tilin? The engineer on the station."</p><p>"The one who built the drones."</p><p>"Yeah, and who figured out how to stop them. She was killed during our escape. She wasn't from here, so I went back to the station, cleared out her things and took them back to her family. They deserved to know she died a hero, saved lives. Otherwise they might never've found out what happened to their daughter, their sister, their aunt. Just another statistic, caught up in a coup she didn't even choose to get involved in. Sometimes, it's important to stop and remember all the little people affected by all the really big things."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>Serene was thinking about Selah. She could ask to find what happened to her, after she'd rescued baby Serene - not to mention how she'd done that in the first place - but maybe it was better to leave some questions unanswered. And she should probably avoid putting herself in any more situations where she could be tempted to try and change things too. She just hoped that after delivering the last surviving heir to safety, Selah had escaped harm too.</p><p> </p><p>"This might be pushing it, but-"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Can we go to the future? Here, I mean. I want to know if the Architect's coup gets remembered in history. If - if I'm recorded as part of it. They said they were doing it in my name, but what we did to stop them… I need to know if people believe I was part of it."</p><p>"We can do that."</p><p>The Doctor didn't mention she'd sort of done that already, checking the TARDIS databanks as soon as they'd left Taer Prime the first time, to ensure that none of those who'd hurt her friend had escaped punishment. The Alliance didn't execute wrong-doers, thankfully, but they didn't believe in letting those who attempted to overthrow democratic governments to get off lightly, either.</p><p>"But if you go wandering off again…"</p><p>Serene held up her hands in surrender.</p><p>"I promise I'll be good."</p><p> </p><hr/><p>They went forward a hundred years, and went to the central library, near to the city hall. The square hadn't changed a great deal, although there were more flower beds, some new architectural styles and sculptures.</p><p>Serene spent a few hours reading through books about both the civil war, and the Architects' attempted coup. Those about the civil war made no mention of her at all, just that all the Regnant family were killed. Those about the coup only briefly referred to the 'pretender' the Architects had tried to present, who was proven to be a fake. Most didn't even record her name, assuming that 'Serene' was a title rather than a name, that the architects were actually referring to her as 'her serene highness, the Regnant.'</p><p>She remembered visiting Venice, where the Doctor had told her that her name could refer to royalty, or sovereignty, instead of quiet and calm, and of the way she'd tried to bury her response to that notion, the tiny suggested fragments of her own history she'd gathered. Maybe if she'd told the Doctor everything then about what she knew, all this could have been avoided? But there was no point in thinking that now.</p><p>She read on. The Doctor escaped being recorded in this part of history at all, and the only picture Serene could find of herself was a still from the broadcast. With all the cosmetics and the fancy clothing, it didn't even look like her.</p><p><em>'I can live with that,'</em> she thought.</p><p>The architects themselves were all sentenced to imprisonment in exile, and no attempt appeared to have been made since to revert the Alliance to a monarchy, or a dictatorship. Serene could have spent all day reading about her people, their history and more, but that could wait. The TARDIS archives would probably be able to find anything else she wanted, now she'd gotten what she needed.</p><p> </p><p>She went to find the Doctor, who was amusing herself arguing with a historian.</p><p>"Dear lady," he was saying. "I have studied this era in depth for many years. I can assure you, there were no robots on Siddell III at the time of the Allurian Empire!"</p><p>"Oh yeah? Well, I was there," the Doctor replied, gleeful. "And they were absolutely beautiful. Tried to cut my head off a few times, but that seems to be a bit of a pattern with robots."</p><p>Serene tried not to laugh. The Doctor caught sight of her.</p><p>"Anyway, much as I'd love to stay and continue this chat, I have to be off. Hope I helped you keep an open mind!"</p><p>She left the man spluttering in confused outrage, and went back to Serene.</p><p>"All done?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>The Doctor could see her friend was genuinely calmer, relieved by whatever she'd found. Finally, they could draw a line under this. Serene would always have questions about her past - and the Doctor could relate to that - but the important ones had been answered.</p><p>"That's enough about me," Serene said. "You choose, where to next?"</p><p>The Doctor smiled.</p><p>"All of time and space, of course."</p><p> </p><hr/><p>Disclaimer: Anything you recognise isn't mine, etc.</p><p> Thanks for reading! All reviews gratefully received... :)</p><p>The next story will be "Ma'at".</p>
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